Through The Fire
by flashpenguin
Summary: An UNSUB with a thirst for blood is terrorizing Arlington. When Em becomes his latest victim, Dave and the team must race against the clock to profile a killer with no set M.O. and save her before time runs out.
1. Prologue

_**Can you believe this is my 40**__**th**__** story and my 38**__**th**__** Criminal Minds story? Wow! Seems like just yesterday I was trying to kick out "For All Time". Seriously, where does the time go? Well, it looks like to celebrate my milestone I am going to write another crime fic. This one finds Emily kidnapped and at the mercy of a ruthless killer while the team scrambles to rescue her and solve the case.**_

_**I don't own Criminal Minds….but I'm not going to say no if the dummies at CBS want to give it to me.**_

_**Song prompt: "Through The Fire" by Peabo Bryson**_

**Through The Fire**

**Place: Arlington, VA**

**Time: Present Day**

There was cold, freezing cold, and colder than a witch's tit. Tonight was leaning toward the latter. Only September and Virginia was being hit with a cold snap that caught people off guard. Blamed on the weather pattern, old-timers mused that it was Mother Nature showing the bureaucrats who was really in charge when it came to the world.

But cold snap or not, life on the streets went on. Standing up against the wall, a lady of the night took a long drag on her cigarette and watched as her "charge" walked up, teetering on five inch heels. Already, she could tell it was going to be one of those nights.

"Desiree, what are you doing outside without your coat girlfriend? You know you can't be walking these streets without something to keep you warm. It's gonna hurt business if you catch your death of cold."

"I don't have a coat," Desiree replied and shoved her hands in her armpits to keep them warm.

"I coulda sworn you had a fur coat last week."

"I did. I had to hock it to pay some bills."

"Buying that man of yours drugs."

Desiree sighed. "It's not like that; he fell on some hard times. He needed something to pick him up."

"So you hock the one thing your grandma left you to get him high? That man is a loser."

"Step, it's not like that. After I turned a couple of tricks, I can get it back. The guy at the store likes me. Said he would have given me more for it if I used the money to go back to school."

"Smart man. Maybe you ought to hook up with him instead of that loser who makes you walk the street in freezing temps to provide money for his drug habit."

Desiree tried to stop her teeth from chattering. "Maybe I'll get lucky tonight and I can get home before it gets too cold."

Step took off her coat and handed it to the young lady. "Here, take this."

"I can't take your coat."

"And you can't walk the streets with pneumonia which is what that bastard boy-friend of yours will do to you. Trust me, I know. Now put it on before I drag you to my place."

Desiree slipped the coat on and relished in its warmth. "You are too good to me Step." A tear slipped from her eye. "I wish my mother had been half as good as you."

"Well honey, we can't pick our families, but if I could have had children, I would have picked you…sans the hooker part and the drug addict boyfriend."

"Ouch!"

"Just telling it like it is. I know that if I could hook me a sugar daddy, I'm getting you off the streets and back into school."

Desiree gave her friend a wry smile. "Thanks." Feeling the warmth of the coat heat up her blood, Desiree began to relax. "How is business tonight?"

"The usual. Cops came by and told us it was going to be below freezing and to get inside. They offered us a jail cell without the booking part. I didn't know if they were joking or not."

"A night at county without raising bail? I missed that one." The wind picked up. "Step, you need to get a coat. I will be okay."

"Honey, I don't let my girls get in cars without seeing who's asking for their services." Step took a drag of her cigarette. "I'll go get something later. Unless you would rather walk with me to the corner for a cup of coffee. It's too cold out here. You can come home with me. I have a spare bed."

A warm room and a bed all to herself to sleep in? That sounded like heaven. Desiree went to open her mouth to accept when a car pulled up to the curb.

"Hey doll!" the voice called out. "Got any plans for tonight?"

"Depends…you got a heater in that car?"

"Honey, we don't need a heater for what I have planned for you."

Desiree walked over to the vehicle and leaned in. "What do you have planned?" She smelled expensive cologne and he looked harmless enough.

"What will two fifty get me?"

Desiree gave him a sultry laugh. "A trip around the world for starters."

"Well, hop in babe. The night is speeding by and I need to get off soon before I explode."

"Hand jobs in cars are extra."

"Anything."

Desiree rushed over to Step. "This guy is hard up big time! He's offered two fifty for starters and wants a hand job ASAP."

"What are you waiting for, honey? Take it."

"Are you sure?" Desiree really wanted to take the night off.

Step reached out and touched the young lady's hair. "Do this, get the money, then come back to my place. Okay?"

"Okay." Desiree started to shrug out of the coat. "Here."

"Take it. You may need it later to walk back home."

Desiree stepped over to the vehicle and opened the passenger side door. "I love you Step."

"I love you too Des. Hurry back."

Closing the door, Desiree turned to her client. "So where are we going?"

"Somewhere it isn't cold."

"Works for me." She pressed her finger tips to the vent and relished in the heat as the car sped forward.

Standing on the sidewalk, Step took another drag on her cigarette. She knew she promised to go inside, but there was nothing waiting for her at her the apartment. She would wait until Desiree came back.  
*******

"I never knew anyone who _couldn't_ throw a Frisbee. Hell, my grandma throws better than you do."

"What the hell do you expect? I'm a surgeon, not an athlete."

"With those hands, I pray I don't get you in the OR when I need you." The guy climbed thru the brush and stopped. _What the hell? Is that a multi colored rabbit?_ Moving closer, he noticed it was a fur jacket. Kneeling down he reached out and touched cold flesh. Scared and frightened, he fell back.

"Holy shit! Skip! Get over here!" He had never seen a dead body before.

Within seconds Skip was over where his friend sat. "What's wrong Joe?" Following the pointed finger, it took him a second to recognize the body of a female. Hurrying over, his doctor's instincts kicked in. Feeling for a pulse, he found none. Giving a glance over, he noticed a trail of dried blood from the woman's mouth. Hemorrhage from a possible stab wound.

Pulling out his cell phone, he quickly dialed 9-1-1. "My friend and I are at the park and just found the body of a young woman….yes, she's dead….I know this because I'm a doctor." As he rattled off the address, he heard his friend retching. "Yes, we'll stay until the police arrive."

As the operator kept him on the line, he looked at the young lady and sighed. He had seen a lot of dead bodies in his career, but this one seemed like such a waste.

Sirens filled the air. Letting the operator know, he hung up and tended to his friend. Police were going to be descending any second and he needed to get his friend away from the scene.

"Officer!" Skip called out. "We're over here. Can I get someone to take my friend for some fresh air?"

"Tony! Help him to the bench over there so we can ask him some questions." The police officer ordered. As Joe was helped away, the officer turned to Skip. "Can you tell me what happened?"

As the area was quickly roped off with yellow crime scene tape, Skip explained how they came across the latest victim: Jane Doe 127.


	2. Chapter 2

_The second chapter is up. Slowly but surely I'm building to the case that is going to change the team's lives. Hope you enjoy._

* * *

**Through The Fire**

Emily Prentiss skipped down the steps of her brownstone to the sidewalk. Bending over to stretch her muscles, she straightened up and breathed in the crisp cold air. The weather was a little too nippy to be running- God knew that it took everything she had to get out of her warm bed- but a promise was a promise. If she stood Morgan up for their jog, he would never let her live it down.

Looking at her watch, she noticed her running partner was running a little late, so she took that opportunity to stretch and get ready for what was going to be a long and hard run. It had been a week since she had donned her running shoes and her muscles were going to have something to say about it, but that was okay with her. She needed to clear her mind after that last case and burning screaming muscles was the best way to banish horrible images.

Another glance at her watch had her worrying about Morgan. He should have been there by now. She would give him five more minutes and then she was going for the run by herself. Another stretch and pull to get the blood pumping.

A car pulled up to the curb and stopped. The window rolled down and a voice called out: "Want a ride?"

Coming out of a stretch, Em looked up. "I don't accept rides from strangers."

"Really? Don't tell me you're waiting for someone."

Em walked over to the car. "As a matter of fact, I am."

"Let me guess: tall, dark, and handsome?"

"I would forfeit all of that for a partner who can be on time."

"Ouch! Princess, that was low even for you!"

Em opened the door and stepped inside. "I almost froze to death waiting for you. What happened? I was worrying."

"It took everything I had not to call you and suggest we go to the gym instead."

"I wish you had, but now that you're late, I'm going to have to hold you to the run."

Morgan groaned. "Aww, Princess, cut me some slack."

"Oooo, is Derek Morgan wimping out? Can't stand the cold, or can't stand that I am going to leave you in the dust?"

Morgan turned off the engine. "Is that a challenge?"

"No, that's a fact." Em opened the door and got out. "The park is about five blocks due west. We can run the path. If you think you're man enough."

Morgan got out of the car and set the lock. "Be careful of your challenges. I might surprise you."

"I'd be worried if you had been on time."

"Try to keep up, Princess."

Em started running. "You first. By the way, your shoe is untied." She picked up the pace as Morgan kneeled down and tied his lace.

"I'll get you for that," he remarked and hurried to catch up with his partner.  
*****

An hour later the pair jogged up to the brownstone.

"You want to go get something to eat?" Morgan asked between breaths.

"I would love to, but I have things I need to get done today."

"A hot date this early in the morning?"

"The only thing hot right now is that muscle in my thigh." Em slowed the pace a bit to take the pressure off the burn. "I'm going to get a hot shower and a heat pad started. Then I have to go shopping."

"Sounds good. Need a little help with the shower and heat pad?" Morgan teased.

"Ha! Offering your services?"

"Maybe."

Em gave a small laugh. "Thanks, but I think I can handle it." Twenty feet before the steps, Em took her jog down to a brisk walk.

Morgan cocked his head and gave her a wide brilliant smile. "I'm sure you can. But it never hurts to ask."

"Thanks." Em held her arms over her head. "That was a great run."

"Thanks for inviting me."

"Monday morning at six?" Em panted.

"I'll be here."

"I'll hold my breath."

"Okay Princess, be ready to be surprised." Digging his keys out, he walked over to the car and opened the door. "Call me if you need me."

"I will. See you. Drive safe."

"You too." She waited for him to start the car and drive off. Skipping up the steps, she unlocked the front door and made her way to her apartment. Unlocking the door, she stepped inside and froze in her tracks. Someone was in her flat.

Reaching into the desk drawer, she extracted her service weapon and tip toed down the short hall. The closer she got to the bathroom, the louder the sound. The shower was on. Using her foot to push the door open, she paused before entering.

Senses on high alert, she cautiously stepped in and saw a figure behind the curtain. One hand on her weapon, she used the other to yank the curtain open. "Freeze!" she barked at the intruder. As the figure turned around, she let out her breath in a heavy sigh.

"Good morning to you too Emily," David Rossi replied.

"Damnit Dave, I almost shot your dumb ass!" She yelped as her hand rose to cover and still her frantically beating heart.

"Wouldn't have been the first time a woman attempted that," he replied smoothly as he rinsed the suds from his skin.

"Well, I would have been the first to follow thru." Setting her weapon on the sink counter, she tried to catch her breath. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"I thought I'd surprise you."

"No shit! You think you achieved your mission? You could have left a note warning me."

"Where's the fun in that? I figured after your run you would want to keep your heart rate up."

"There's keeping the heart rate up, and inducing cardiac arrest you arrogant bastard."

Dave gave her his famous crooked smile. "I could have found a way to bring you back to life."

"But you would have had to explain to Hotch why you were naked in my shower."

"I'm a writer; I could have come up with something plausible." He eyed her outfit. "Don't tell me you went out in the cold in that?"

"It wasn't cold after we finished the first quarter mile." Em pulled the scrunchie from her hair. "And once the first mile passed it was actually quite pleasant."

"We?" Dave raised his eyebrow.

"Morgan and me." Em removed her shoes and socks. "I thought I told you."

"Probably. Aren't you undressed yet? The hot water is going to be gone if you don't hurry."

Em finished undressing. "Give me a break; I'm hurting. I think I gave myself a Charley horse." She got in the shower and closed the curtain.

"I can take care of that for you," Dave offered as he wrapped his arms loosely around Em's waist.

"Morgan offered the same thing."

"He did, did he? Moving in on my woman."

"Is that what I am? Your woman?"

Dave's eyes darkened with desire. "If you have to ask, I haven't done very well expressing myself." Lowering his head, he nuzzled her jaw line. Closing her eyes, Em arched into his touch. "Maybe this will remind you."

"I think it's coming back to me."

"Are you sure?"

"Oh yeah," she breathed.

"Once I finish reminding you, I'll tend to your injury. Deal?"

"Deal."

As Dave's mouth covered hers, Em relaxed under his gentle touch and the feel of the warm water running over her skin. The discomfort of her pulled muscles faded as Dave applied his own brand of therapy.  
*****

Step rushed into the police station. Pushing her way to the police sergeant's desk, she tried to keep herself under control but she was frantic.

Looking up from his paperwork the sergeant looked up. "Morning Step. What's wrong?"

"Mike, I need your help," she replied, her eyes filling with tears.

"What's the problem? Another abusive john? One of your girls fall into trouble?" Mike didn't mean to sound callous, but after nearly twenty years on the beat, he was familiar with hookers and the problems associated with their line of work.

"One of my girls didn't come home after she was picked up."

"Are you sure?"

"I watched her get in the car. I waited for her but she never came back." Step wiped at her eyes. "I'm worried."

Mike closed the folder. "Maybe she got a good pimp and decided to stay with him."

"You know I don't let my girls get involved in that pimp crap. It's been three nights. I'm worried. Please, I know something is wrong."

"Step…"

"Don't Step me. We've been friends for thirteen years. I have never lied to you. And my gut is always dead on. I wouldn't risk coming in here if it wasn't important." She brushed another tear away. "She's a good girl. I was trying to reform her and get her back in school." Step's voice dropped. "I know that some girls have gone missing between here and DC. Maybe this is part of it, or maybe it isn't, but please, just check for me."

Mike sighed. "Okay." He pulled a screen up on the computer. "What is her name?"

"Desiree Reagan. She's twenty. Black hair, brown eyes. She was wearing a purple leather skirt and red halter top and five inch green heels. She had to hock her coat, so I loaned her mine. It was a multi-colored rabbit fur concoction."

Mike typed in her information. Within seconds the computer beeped. He looked at the screen twice. "You said she went missing how many nights ago?"

"Three. It will be four tonight. Why?" The unmistakable tone of fear was in her voice. Unconsciously her fingers grasped the edge of the desk.

Mike took a deep breath. "Stephanie…Desiree was found in John Stennis Park early this morning." He watched her face change expressions. "She was raped and murdered."

No sooner were the words out of his mouth then Step went to stand up and passed out cold. He barely caught her before she hit the floor.


	3. Chapter 3

_Third chapter is up. The UNSUB's thirst for blood is going from a craving to an addiction. But so far local law enforcement isn't making the connection. But until Arlington and DC make the connection, our team of profilers will be out in the field tending to other cases._

* * *

**Through The Fire**

Monday morning dawned bright at the BAU. It should have been just another day of work and trying to analyze and get into the mind of a criminal to challenge the expert team of profilers. But with no cases pending, reports and files were logged and completed instead of making apprehensions and arrests.

As the morning dragged on, Emily was feeling closed in by the walls of the FBI and it's stale recycled air. As she filed her reports on the computer, she decided on a different change of pace to her regular office routine and go out in town for lunch. Setting down the folder, she walked over to JJ's office.

Knocking on JJ's door, she ducked her head in.

"Hi, Em!" JJ greeted as she looked up from her stack of folders. "Come on in. What can I help you with?"

"Want to go to lunch? My treat."

"Hmmm…" The thought of getting outside was too appealing to pass up. "Sounds good."

"I need to get out of this building. I never realized how much being out in the field has grown on me."

JJ signed the paper and closed the folder. "Can I choose?"

"Sure."

"What about PG?"

"Why not? We'll make it a girls lunch hour."

JJ checked her watch. "What time are you leaving?"

"How's noon sound?"

"Let me finish this stack up and I'll meet you at the elevators."

"Okay." Em walked out of the office and closed the door. Rounding the corner, she bumped into Dave. "Sorry."

Automatically his hands went out to steady her. "You're in a hurry."

"I'm taking JJ and Pen out for lunch. Want to go?"

Rossi shook his head. "Thanks, but that is way too much estrogen for me."

"Good, because it's girls only."

He scanned her from head to toe. "How's the leg?"

"Much better. Thanks."

"Dinner and a movie tonight?"

"I'd say yes, but we never make it thru the movie."

"True. Then just dinner." He looked at her with barely concealed desire. "I'll bring the dessert."

"I _know_ you will. Well, I'm going to get Pen."

"Okay. Don't forget to bring those files by for my signature."

"They require Hotch's signature," Prentiss corrected.

"Still, it wouldn't hurt to look them over."

"Questioning my ability to write a report?"

"Call it preventative maintenance."

"Okay. Bring you something back?" She offered.

Rossi reached for his wallet and pulled out a bill. "I don't care what kind it is, but make sure it's a melt with fries. And get one for Hotch too."

Prentiss took the bill and tucked it in the pocket of her slacks. "He's still in with Strauss?"

"Quarterly reports. He might be out by the time you guys get back."

"I don't envy him."

"Same here."

"See you when I get back."

Rossi nodded. "I look forward to it." He watched as she continued down the passageway to Garcia's vault. Watching her enter then close the door, he turned around and headed back to his office.  
****

"I hate quarterlies," Prentiss remarked and took a sip of her iced tea.

"You aren't telling me anything I don't already know," JJ answered as she took a bite out of her roast beef sandwich.

"At least we can guarantee your office is clean for five minutes."

"Ha! I'll let you be liaison for a week and let's see how clean your desk is."

"No thank you."

"Hey guys, look at the news," Garcia gestured with her head toward the TV in the corner of the café.

"_Police are not confirming that the body of a prostitute found in John Stennis park yesterday morning is connected to the disappearance of six other women over the past four months. The victim was identified as 20 year old Desiree Reagan. Her body was found by two men who happened upon her while they were looking for a Frisbee. Police are still looking for any witnesses who may have information about this murder or the other unsolved cases…"_

"Oh my goodness," Garcia breathed. "Do you think there's a serial killer out there?"

"Wouldn't be a week without one," Prentiss replied dryly.

"Do you think the police department is going to contact us?"

"Depends on whether it's an isolated case or they connect this last murder with the others. As long as the police don't think there is a connection, we can't get involved," JJ remarked. The FBI had enough to worry about than to be recruited as the local law enforcement.

"I just think it's sad," Garcia answered as she moved her fries around on her plate, "that women can be murdered and they don't get much more than a blip on the news station."

"It is, but that is why we do what we do to make sure the bad guys don't get away with it," Prentiss tried to assure her friend.

"Only if we get involved."

"It's about jurisdiction, PG."

Garcia sighed and slumped her shoulders. "I know."

Prentiss looked at her watch. "I think we need to start heading back."

The women hurriedly finished their meals. While JJ and Garcia grabbed their coats, Prentiss paid the bill and gathered up the containers for Rossi and Hotch.

Holding the door for her friends, the three women walked outside in the brisk air to Prentiss's car. As they got in, Garcia cast a glance in the direction of the park. "What if it is a serial killer?"

"Unfortunately, it's a wait see procedure."

"It sucks."

"Yeah," Prentiss replied and started the engine. "It does."  
*****

The sound of feet hitting the pavement broke the silence along the pathway. As the two women rounded the corner toward the tunnel, they matched their steps and picked up the pace.

"So, you're still going to train for the Boston Marathon?" the first woman asked.

"Sure am. I figure if I can keep this up for the next couple of months, I should be ready."

"Twenty six miles. Ugh!"

"It's a challenge to test your endurance."

"Three miles is a challenge. Ten times that amount is torture."

"I'll be there to help you along."

"Only if the EMTs are waiting there with a crash cart."

The second woman went to reply when the sound of a cell ringing interrupted her. As the two women slowed to a stop, the first one pulled her phone out.

"Connie Aragon. Where? When? Okay, I'll be there. No…just try to placate him until I get there. Bye." Hanging up she looked at her friend. "Mr. Reynolds just came into the office and wants to know why his alimony is being increased." She sighed. "I'm sorry. I have to go in."

"That's okay. Maybe he shouldn't have tried to get the judge to overturn the settlement his prenup dictated."

"True. Wanna head back with me?"

"Nah, I'm going to finish this and head home."

"You are too dedicated."

"No, I'm smart because I don't think I can handle Mr. Reynolds. Though if you show up like that, he might change his mind."

"You are bad, Sara."

"That I am." A quick stretch, Sara started running in place. "I'll call you later."

"Bye Hon."

"Bye."

Sara started forward. Fifty feet into her run, she turned and watched as her friend ran thru the tunnel. Then she turned back and concentrated on finishing her jog.  
*****

"_You have reached the voice mail box of Sara Matthews. I can't answer your call right now, but leave a number and I'll call you back. If this is an emergency, please call my office at 555-9190. Thank you."_

"Sara? Are you back yet? I hate to bother you. Mr. Reynolds drained me. I should have called you yesterday, but I got home late. Hope you're not angry. I had a meeting all day today and just got home. Meet me for breakfast tomorrow morning. Okay? Talk to you then. Bye." Connie hung up the phone. She had planned on going over but since her friend wasn't home yet, she cancelled her plans and stayed at home.  
******

_**Two days later**_

Two young boys walked thru the forest, the sound of leaves rustling under their feet broke the quiet peace of the morning.

"Where are we heading?" The first boy asked as he approached the edge of the bank.

"We have to stay off the streets until noon. The truant officers are out in full force."

"I told you we shouldn't have skipped school this morning. It's not too late to head back."

"You really wanted to go and take Mrs. Whitman's French test?"

"Not really, but when my mom finds out…"

"Chris, you need to stop worrying and get a grip. One failed French test ain't gonna keep you from working at McDonald's."

"Haha, very funny Paul. When you come to apply at my franchise, I'm putting you on cleaning out the fryers."

Paul held his chest in mock pain. "Oh!" Looking down at the creek, he stopped. "What's that?" He bent down and picked up a rock. Aiming, he threw it at the object.

"What is that?" Chris asked as he moved down the bank to get a closer look.

"Some one threw a dummy in the creek." Paul reached down for another rock.

"Wait!" Chris shouted. "That's not a dummy! That's a body."

"What? Are you serious?"

"As a heart attack. Oh my god! Oh my god!" Chris began to shake.

Paul grabbed his phone and dialed 9-1-1. "Are you okay?"

"My mom is going to kill me," Chris replied. "I am so dead."

"At least you'll get out of your French test for good. Hello? Police? Yeah, my friend and I are down at Patton Creek and we just found a dead body."


	4. Chapter 4

_Sorry for the long wait between updates. The best laid plans of mice and men….and then life steps in and rearranges everything. I promise I won't let too much time pass before the next update. Well, to update the story, here goes: Serial killer terrorizing DC and Arlington, no immediate clues tying the victims together, indistinct MO (modus operandi), and….Emily and Dave are sleeping together. Yeah, that pretty much sums up the first three chapters. Now the team is being called in, but it's not as cut and dry as it may appear…which is going to come back to bite the BAU. Eventually._

_I don't own Criminal Minds_

**Through The Fire**

Entering the bullpen, the team went to their respective desks. Three days out in the field in South Dakota had nearly drained them. Between the case and the heat, then the sudden cold, it had been one of their worst cases in recent memory. Unfortunately the UNSUB had taken his life, so not only had they lost the victims, but the reason behind the crime would never be known.

Across the room, JJ noticed someone in her office. Pushing her go bag strap higher on her shoulder, she took a deep breath and prepared to meet the unannounced visitor.

Opening the door, JJ stepped inside her office. "Hello," she greeted the visitor. "I'm Agent Jennifer Jareau, the media liaison."

The young woman stood up and shook JJ's hand. "I know. I'm glad to meet you. Although I wish the circumstances were different."

"What is the problem…?" JJ hinted for a name.

"I'm sorry; Connie Aragon. I've been a little…" she waved her hands looking for the right word, "…distracted the past few days."

"What's wrong Connie?" JJ became concerned.

"My best friend was murdered." The young woman tried unsuccessfully to hide her tears.

"I'm sorry to hear that. Why don't you sit down?" JJ walked over to her desk and took her seat while the young woman did the same. "Tell me what happened."

Connie wiped her eyes. "She…Sara…Sara Matthews…well, we went running a few days ago and I had to go back into work. She never came home. A couple days ago they found her body in Patton Creek…she had been raped and strangled."

JJ stopped writing. "I'm sorry to hear that, but how does this involve the FBI?"

"You've heard about the murders happening in the area?" Connie asked. JJ nodded. "I know the same guy who is doing that, killed Sara."

"How do you know this?"

"I don't, but it was in the park and I know that six months ago two women disappeared from that area. I looked into it. I'm a lawyer so I did my own investigating."

"It could have been a boyfriend," JJ suggested.

Connie shook her head in denial. "Sara didn't have a boyfriend…she was gay. And she wasn't seeing anyone. We were training for the marathon. You have to help me find this person who did this before he kills another woman."

"I'm sorry to hear about Sara, but unfortunately the FBI isn't the local law enforcement. Unless the circumstances fall into certain categories our hands are tied as to what we can or can't do."

"But there is a serial killer out there," Connie cried.

"We don't know that. Right now the police have not called us in."

"They sent me here. The police are the ones who told me that you could help me."

JJ thought for a moment. "Unfortunately, this is out of my hands. I will do what I can, but I will have to take it up with my supervisors. I can't make you any promises, but I will do what I can."

Connie nodded. "I understand."

"Out of curiosity, why isn't Sara's mother or father here on her behalf?"

"They're both dead. I was her closest friend. We worked at rival law firms, but we were friends. She was like my sister." Connie swiped at her nose with a Kleenex. "I just can't believe she's gone. And now I can't get any help from anyone."

"I will do what I can, I promise." JJ stood up and walked to the door. Opening it, she let Connie out first before following her into the bullpen. "Do you have a number where I can reach you?"

Connie handed over a business card. "You can reach me at either number."

"I will call you and let you know."

"Thank you Agent Jareau. If you want, you can call Mike Donnelly. He's the desk sergeant in DC. He recommended you."

"I promise to look into it," JJ assured.

"Thank you." With a nod of her head, Connie left the room. JJ watched her leave.  
*****

"I really think we have a serial killer here in the area," JJ stated succinctly. "I talked with the police and they sent over their files related to their cold cases."

"We're not a cold case division," Hotch reminded her.

"I know that. But after my visit with Connie Aragon, I decided to take the initiative and call the DC police." Handing out the folders to the team, JJ grabbed the remote and clicked the screen on. "There have been approximately eight women murdered over the last seven months in the DC and Arlington area. The women's ages range from nineteen to thirty five."

"No specific ethnicity," Rossi remarked, flipping thru the information. "And he seems to be dumping the victims indiscriminately."

"Where they disappeared to where they were found means that the UNSUB has transportation."

Prentiss scanned the autopsy reports. "All of the victims were found 72 hours after they disappeared but they were only dead for 24. That means he's keeping them for two days."

"Considering what he's doing to them in those 48 hours, he's making sure they welcome death at the end," Morgan offered.

"A serial killer that not only abducts women, tortures them, sexually assaults them during and after death, and then strangles them before disposing of them in remote areas suggests that the killer feels remorse after the crime," Reid commented.

"Remorse _after _the crime of killing them?" Morgan asked in disbelief. "How often does that happen?"

"More often than you think. A killer may have the moment of rage when he abducts his victim but afterward he feels remorse for giving into his rage," Rossi supplied.

"That would explain why he hid them in remote areas but not why some were dressed and others weren't," Prentiss replied. "The prostitutes were clothed but the women who weren't prostitutes were found naked. That's very unusual."

"It could be that the UNSUB has a hatred of prostitutes but at the same time is ashamed of them," Reid spoke up.

"How is that possible?" Prentiss asked. "He hates them enough to kill them but can't bring himself to desecrate them in death?"

"His mother may have been a prostitute. It only stands to reason the way he's treating the victims the opposite of what they represent. The bad girl is good, the good girl is bad," Reid answered.

"The seventh victim, Desiree Reagan, was a prostitute who disappeared over a week ago. Her body was found by some men playing Frisbee in John Stennis Park. She was reported missing by her 'friend' Stephanie Walker. From what the report says, Miss Walker saw the victim get into the car the night she disappeared." Rossi read the information.

"She was clothed when her body was discovered," Prentiss offered.

"But what about Sara Matthews? She was a lawyer for the Connor/Finch/Grey law firm and by all accounts was respected by her friends and colleagues. Not even a parking ticket," JJ countered. "She disappeared from John Stennis Park and was found in Patton Creek. That's approximately 15 miles from the abduction to the location of the body."

"She was naked and floating in the river."

Hotch looked at Rossi who nodded. "I think we might have a serial killer with an unspecified MO."

"Strauss isn't going to like us taking this case," Prentiss commented.

"We have a possible serial killer roaming the area indiscriminately killing women. I think we need to take the case. Morgan, Reid…I want you meet with the friends and family of the last three victims and get their routines. Prentiss, you and Rossi meet with the investigating detectives and find out why no one has tied these cases together. JJ, you come with me."

"So, we have a case?" Morgan asked.

"It looks that way. Meet back here as soon as you finish meeting with everyone. Hopefully we will have something to go on."

Everyone gathered their items and left the room.*****

"I don't care what you think Agent Hotchner, the police don't think these cases are connected," Erin Strauss stated and removed her glasses.

"Director, I appreciate your opinion, but it's well known that sometimes serial killers don't follow a specific MO. Less than one percent go out of the norm," Hotch answered.

"You think this," Strauss jabbed her forefinger at the folder on her desk containing information pertaining to the cold cases, "is the work of a possible serial killer."

"We've worked up a preliminary profile. He's a white male between the ages of 25-35. He has been doing this for a while. He's employed but his job allows him to move around. He's average in looks and outgoing enough to assure his victims so he can get close to them. He's familiar with the area and can fit into any situation," Hotch profiled.

"Except that he's striking women of every demographic. He has no specific target. How do you know that we aren't dealing with two UNSUBs?"

"At the moment, from what we can gather, it's one UNSUB."

Strauss eyed Hotch carefully. "Are you willing to bet your career on it?"

Hotch eyed her back. "Yes, I am."

Sighing, Strauss leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms over her chest. "I'm sorry, but I don't believe this is the work of a serial killer. And until the local law enforcement asks us to step in, there is nothing we can do."

"Director…" Hotch began.

"I'm sorry Agent Hotchner. Until something else comes in that points in the direction of your profile, my hands are tied."

"Director…" Hotch tried again.

"That's my final word."

"Yes ma'am." Face devoid of emotion, Hotch turned and left the office. As he rounded the corner, he ran into Rossi.

"I take it Erin said no."

"We're off the case until something ties everything together."

Rossi shoved his hands in his pants pockets. "What does she want?"

"She wasn't clear on exactly what that one thing is that will draw us in, but I'm estimating it's going to have to be big enough to draw DC and Arlington together."

"So no working the profile until they come to an understanding that they have a serial killer or killers roaming freely in the cities?" Rossi let out his breath in one long stream.

"Officially? No profile. Unofficially, I want you and Morgan to keep working this case under the radar. This UNSUB is going to slip up and when he does, we'll be on him."

Rossi watched his friend carefully. "Are you okay with this?"

"Okay with what?" Hotch asked as the pair made their way back to his office.

"Strauss denying us the chance to catch a serial killer."

"There's nothing we can do Dave. Until we get the go ahead." Hotch opened his office door and stepped inside.

Rossi's look was dead serious. "More women could die."

"I know."

"It'll be on us." Rossi started to walk away.

Hotch shook his head. "I know." He closed his office door.


	5. Chapter 5

_**Well, you can't blame Strauss for being gun-shy about sending the team out to investigate a "possible" serial killer. Her reputation is on the line along with the team. This is a quick bridge chapter with a talk between Dave & Em and subtle suggestion followed by some sex. Really, could it be a Dave/Em story without some sex?**_

**Through The Fire**

Dave pulled the grate back from the fireplace and added a couple of logs. For a full minute he watched as the logs smoldered and then caught fire. Satisfied, he replaced the mesh and walked over to the couch.

Lifting Emily's legs, he sat down. Settled in, he rested her feet in his lap. Unconsciously he massaged her calves and ankles.

"That feels good," Emily sighed and closed her eyes. "You can keep that up all night."

"I can think of something else I'd rather be doing with my hands."

"I'll bet you do."

"And what's wrong with wanting to make love you every chance I get?" Dave's hands stroked and kneaded Emily's heel and arch. "I love your body."

"Hmmm, I know you do. Sometimes I think you just want me for my body."

"That's not exactly true."

"I'll bet, but that's okay." Emily nestled deeper into the cushions as Dave's hands moved to her other foot. "So Strauss took us off the case?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Various reasons but in a nutshell it came down to jurisdiction and circumstantial evidence."

"Eight women murdered and it's 'circumstantial evidence'?"

"Plus the local law enforcement hasn't called us in. Until they do, it's out of our hands."

"I fear to think what it's going to take to make them decide that we need to come in before it's too late."

"Well, I can see it from Strauss's point of view since three of our cases last year unnecessarily involved us. She wants to be cautious."

"Understandable. But you can be _too_ cautious."

"I know. That's why I'm spending the night," Dave replied.

Emily's eyes opened. "Oh you think so? When were you going to tell me? And what about Mudgie? Don't you have to let him out?"

"Mudgie has a doggy door and can let himself out. As for spending the night…considering two of the murders took place five miles from this place, I feel the need to protect you."

"You make it sound like I can't take care of myself."

Dave's grip on Em's foot tightened briefly. "I didn't say that. I figure there is no way I'm ever going to be able to get you to move in with me, so I thought me spending the night and offering my bodyguard services would be the next best thing."

Emily's mouth twitched in sardonic humour. "Comforting. I don't need a bodyguard. I can take care of my self very well…even though I'm a woman."

"I know you're a woman, but that's not why I…" Dave searched for the right words. "I care about you Emily. Out in the field I don't worry about you taking care of yourself because you're armed and protected by a bullet proof vest and four men ready to beat the living crap out of any UNSUB who wants to hurt you. But I worry about you when you're here alone because if anything happens none of us will be here to help. I don't like feeling helpless. And I don't believe in tempting fate."

"I appreciate your concern Dave, but nothing is going to happen. Besides, none of the women were abducted from their homes. They were away from a secure location and by themselves. I don't walk the streets and I run with a partner, so already I've decreased my odds of becoming a victim."

Dave raised his eyebrow. "About you jogging…"

"You're going to tell me you don't me to jog anymore?" Emily's tone became defensive.

"I'm saying that maybe you should stop jogging until this guy gets caught."

"From what you said, Strauss believes this isn't a case for us, so the guy may never get caught which means that I won't be able to jog to stay in shape."

"Not entirely true; you could move in with me and jog in my neighbourhood." He ran a finger down the side of her foot and took pleasure from the slight way she jumped. "Plus there are so many other ways to keep in shape without running."

"Oooo, a gated community; I feel safer already," Emily mocked and pulled her feet from Dave's hands. "Why don't you just say that you're jealous of me running with Morgan?"

"Because I'm not."

"Sure." Emily sat up and reached for her glass of wine. "Admit it; you're jealous."

"The day I'm jealous of Derek Morgan is the day I propose to Erin Strauss."

"Then why are you so dead set against me jogging?"

"Because I wish it was me doing that with you. I see Morgan and I can't help but feel old." Dave stood up. "I trust Morgan like a brother, but I feel as though I should be the one out there with you in case anything was to happen." He turned to look intently at her. "If anything were to ever happen to you, I would never forgive myself. I care about you Em."

"Dave…I…" Emily set the glass down. Something about his gaze made her uncomfortable but thrilled at the same time.

"Look, Em, this moment…right now, isn't how I planned on telling you this. I was hoping for something a little more romantic. I feel you deserve it. But I don't think I can wait another minute."

Emily swallowed hard. "I don't know if I like the sound of this."

Dave reached into his pocket and pulled out a small black box. "Since none of my subtle suggestions seem to be working, maybe this will convince you that I want you to move in permanently."

Taking the box from Dave's hand, Emily opened it. An onyx surrounded by garnet chips sparkled back at her. "Are you saying that you want me to…" she stopped short of saying the words that could break the spell of hoping that this moment was real.

"Emily Marie Prentiss, I'm asking you to marry me."

Her mouth dropped open in surprise. "You have a heck of a way to get me to start jogging at your place." She thrust the box toward him. He pushed it back.

"What can I say? I'm an opportunist." He watched the range of emotions cross her face. "All joking aside, I really mean this."

Emily gently touched the stones. "I don't know Dave. We haven't really talked about it. I didn't think you were this serious about me…about us."

"Why not? We've been seeing each other for nearly a year now. I think it's only normal that we move our relationship to the next level."

"But marriage?"

"Why not?"

Emily tried to smile but couldn't. "It's a big step for us."

"I know. I've been there…a few times. What's that saying: If at first you don't succeed try, try again."

"You missed a 'try'," Emily remarked dryly.

"So, I did."

"Show off."

Dave took the box from her hands. Removing the ring, he looked at it then at Emily. "I know what you're thinking, but I mean it. And it's not because I want to 'protect' you. I want to be with you and not have to sneak around behind the team's back." Taking Emily's hand, he slipped the ring on. "You don't have to say yes right now; just wear it for a while and see how it feels."

Emily looked at her hand. "Who are you and what have you done with David Rossi?"

"What do you mean?" Dave tried to look innocent as he sat down beside her.

"I mean why haven't you bullied me into a yes and rushed me down to the justice of the peace?"

"Because you have a gun for one. Also, I rushed thru my previous three engagements so I figure I can slow the pace down for this one…let us both get used to the idea of marriage."

"Really?"

"That and I know where you work and live, so you can't run." Dave took her hand in his and kissed it. "I do have one favour."

"Which is?" Her pulse quickened.

Moving in closer, he nuzzled the base of Emily's neck. "Wear it for a little while and see if it grows on you."

"Dave…I don't think…"

"Don't think." His mouth moved lightly over her skin. Unconsciously Emily shivered. "Just do it and see how you feel."

"What's the catch?"

"No catch." Dave's hands stroked her gently, knowingly. He was breaking down her defenses. Slowly but surely he was subtlety convincing her. Drawing her into his arms, he tilted her face and kissed her. Gently he moved his mouth over hers as his tongue traced the outline of her lips.

Moaning softly, Emily deepened the kiss as Dave laid her back against the cushions of the couch. Cupping her breast he relished in her arching against his hand. God he loved to drive her crazy. His body hardened with the thought of loving her and making her his for life.

"Okay Em, there is one catch." His body moved over hers, searching, needing to be one with her.

"I knew it," she hissed breathlessly, her hands frantically releasing the buttons on his dress shirt and moving the material off his body. Her lips pressed against his skin, her tongue darting out to taste his spicy, salty, all male taste.

"If you don't say yes, I might be forced to throw you over my shoulder and haul you down to the justice of the peace." He settled between her thighs. Her hips involuntarily lifted and pressed closer to his erection and rub it against her intimately as she begged for release.

"I can handle that." Em's hands fumbled with Dave's belt.

"Me too." He pulled off her shirt and dipped his head to caress a rosy tipped nipple with his tongue. "I guess I'm spending the night?" Greedily he suckled her breast while his hand ducked down between them and stroked her.

"Oh God! Yes!" Pulling his zipper down, she pushed his jeans down over his hips.

"I can handle that." He kicked off his shoes and tried to shrug out of the denim.

Emily arched her back and wrapped her arms around him. "Me too."

Kissing her quiet, Dave helped make them one with one deep thrust.


	6. Chapter 6

_I know it's another bridge chapter, but trust me, it's all going to tie together real soon. Emily is going to have a couple of revelations and a close encounter while Morgan tries to get to the bottom of the mystery man in Em's life._

**Through The Fire**

Emily tried to roll over but was prevented by the arm around her waist. Dave! Closing her eyes, she relished in his protective gesture even in sleep. He loved her. That knowledge brought tears to her eyes.

Looking at Dave's features in the dim light of the dawn breaking thru the window, she gently traced his lips with her fingertip. This was the first time she could analyze him without emotions getting in the way or walls going up.

Everything he was and had gone thru was etched in his features by tiny lines and the faint dark circles under his eyes. The small crow's feet at the corner of his eyes told the story of how he tried to hold it in and distance himself during cases that had reduced hardened cops to sobbing boys.

Softly she ran her finger across his cheek. Like fine leather under her touch. So soft and durable, like who he was. And she loved it. She loved him. All of him.

But she had yet to tell him.

She had spent the night in his arms being made love to until she begged for mercy. His words of love in English and Italian were spoken in whispers against her skin and in her ear as he held her close. As he drifted off to sleep, his arm had gone around her waist to hold her tightly against him. "You're mine, Tesoro, and I'm never letting you go," were his last words before he surrendered to exhaustion.

She believed him.

She heard the chirp of her alarm from her bedroom at the end of the hallway. Stretching, she gently pulled out of Dave's arms and stood up. The couch had not been the one place she imagined spending the night- especially with another person- but there was no denying that it was the most comfortable bed she had ever slept on.

Making her way to the bedroom, she quickly freshened up and changed into her running clothes. Taking her shoes out into the living room, Emily sat on the recliner and finished dressing. Tying the laces, she quickly pulled her hair back into a pony tail and stood to stretch. A quick warm up helped pump the blood into her stiff limbs.

Dave moved in his sleep. Reaching for Em, he found himself alone. Opening his eyes, he saw her bent over touching her toes.

"What are you doing?" he asked his voice thick from sleep.

"Warming up for my run with Morgan," she answered bending over and holding the position for ten seconds.

"I thought we agreed you wouldn't jog anymore."

Straightening up, Em massaged her neck. "No. _You_ decided I wouldn't run anymore. I said I was going to run because I am aware of my surroundings."

Dave looked at her. "I wish you wouldn't. Why don't you call him and cancel and then we can go to bed?"

Walking over to him, she sat down beside him. "Good try. He's already here. I'll be okay. Morgan won't let anything happen. And I promise when I get back, I'll take you for breakfast."

Dave debated telling her how he really felt but decided against it. She was going to run whether he approved or not and it wouldn't be wise to start an argument first thing in the morning. Nothing would be accomplished with a fight.

"Okay."

"Go back to sleep," Em ordered and leaned over to place a kiss on his lips.

"Stay with Morgan," Dave ordered and closed his eyes.

"I will," Em promised and stood up. Walking to the door, she pulled the spare key off the hook, put it around her neck, and then closed the door behind her.  
***

Morgan was pacing by his car outside of Emily's brownstone. Checking his watch again, he took pleasure knowing that Emily was running late. He was so going to rub that in when she arrived. If she ever showed up.

The sound of a door closing and soft scuffing on the concrete steps made him look up.

"Well, it's about time you remembered we were running today," he teased. "I thought you stood me up."

"I overslept." Em yawned widely.

Morgan looked her over and paused at her left hand. "Long night with a hot date to celebrate your engagement?"

"What do you mean?" Em stretched her arms over her head.

Nodded toward her hand. "The ring Princess. What's his name and when were you going to tell me?"

_Oh shit! _Emily tried to gather her thoughts coherently. "There's nothing to tell; it's a friendship ring."

Morgan picked up her hand and held it for examination. "That's one helluva 'friendship' statement. An Onyx is anything but a cheap stone." He ran his thumb over the setting. "Whoever this guy is, he has great taste in jewelry."

Emily tried to cover her hand. She hadn't planned on telling anyone…especially Morgan in this way. Even though Dave had proposed, she had not officially accepted, and for anyone to find out before she gave an answer could make things more than a little awkward. "It's nothing."

"I'm a profiler and a cop Princess and I know when someone is triggering my bullshit detector. And right now it's buzzing loudly. What's his name?"

Em eyes darting around her surroundings trying to find something out of place. _Two murders took place five miles from this place…_Dave's commented rang in her ears. Damn him! She cursed silently. "I think we should go for our run."

Morgan eyed her carefully. She was changing the subject to hide something…or rather someone. "I understand." Slowly they started the pace and built up to a jog. For a long while only the sound of their heavy breathing and pounding footsteps on the pavement filled the air. Taking a curve in the path, they picked up the speed.

"So, who is this guy?" Morgan asked.

"What?"

"The guy who gave you the ring. Who is he?"

"You're not going to drop this, are you?" Em's tone was exasperated.

Morgan flashed her a beaming grin. "Nope. So tell me."

"A friend."

"A friend? Or a _friend_?"

"A friend."

"He spent the night?"

Emily kept her eyes straight ahead. "Yes, he did."

"So it's serious?"

"What is this, twenty questions? Why the sudden interest in my personal life?" Emily asked as she tried to ignore the burn in her thigh.

"I care about you Princess, and if there is a possibility that some guy is going to come in and sweep you out of my life and the FBI, I'm going to do everything I can to prevent that."

"Are you jealous?" Emily slowed the pace a bit and tried to ease the pain invading her muscle.

"Not jealous. Not like you think. I care about you. I want him to feel the same way about you." The tunnel came into view. "Will I be able to meet him?"

"Eventually." _You already have Morgan._ "Why is that important?"

"I want to make sure that I like him."

"That shouldn't be a problem," she muttered.

"Can I have a first name?" Morgan asked.

At that moment, the burn in Em's thigh overwhelmed her. "Shit!" She stopped in mid-stride. "I have to sit down Morgan." Carefully he helped her over to a bench.

"Are you okay?" he asked, concern in his voice.

"It's that damn Charley horse. I think I aggravated it again. Go finish the run down to the fountain; I should be okay."

"Are you sure? Maybe we should head back to your place."

Emily waved him off. "I'm fine. I just have to rest it for a minute. Finish the run and I'll catch up when you come back."

"Okay." Morgan took a glance at the surroundings and started running. "You better be here when I get back Princess."

"I will," Emily reassured him. Watching as Morgan ran toward the tunnel and out of sight, Emily gently massaged the area on her thigh. Slowly the burn feeling decreased and the cramping lessened.  
***

From behind a large oak, a figure watched Emily tending to her injury. It was just the moment he had been waiting for. He had seen her and her male friend jog up and stop. He knew he couldn't take the man on, but he felt that urge when he saw the man run off and leave his potential victim behind. He had the victim and the space…now he just waited for the opportunity.

Pulling his knife out, he started to step forward when the sound of footsteps on the leaves caused him to duck back behind the tree. He watched the older man approach the bench and start a conversation.

He could bide his time.  
***

The sound of leaves crunching behind her caused Emily to stiffen and the hair on her neck stand up. Holding her breath, she waited. The sound got closer. Standing up, she spun around.

"Hello, there," a man greeted. Older, with white hair, he was accompanied by his dog.

"Oh you scared me." Emily quickly sized the man up and deemed he was harmless.

"I didn't mean that. I was just taking Buster here for a walk. Seems he likes the weather better when it's cold."

Emily looked at the Yorkshire terrier in his plaid coat. "Animals are like that." Bending over, she scratched Buster under his chin. Buster turned his head and licked her hand.

"He likes you. Usually he isn't friendly to strangers. You must have a dog."

"Actually my fiancé has a dog." Emily continued to pet Buster._ Fiancé. _The word bounced around in her head. Whether or not she intended it, her Freudian slip had made the engagement official.

"Lucky man." He looked Emily over. "Lucky dog. My wife and I were married for fifty-seven years before she passed away on Easter."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"God rest her soul. She was an amazing woman. You kind of remind me of her."

Emily blushed. "Thank you."

"May I ask what a beautiful woman like you is doing out in the park in the cold by herself?"

"I was running with my friend and got a Charley horse. My friend's finishing up down by the fountain and should be back soon."

"Well, women are turning up dead and a young woman like you shouldn't be alone."

Emily bristled slightly at his suggestion. "I understand."

"I take it the man you are running with isn't your fiancé."

"How did you know?"

"Because he wouldn't have let you sit alone on a bench."

Emily nodded and started to speak when Morgan came back into sight.

Seeing Em standing talking to a man, Morgan put speed into his pace and hurried over to her. "Hey, Princess, are you ready to continue?"

"I feel better." Em stretched her leg gently.

"Get her home and take care of that injury," the older man ordered. "You," he nodded at Em, "be careful running in this park. Buster might not like it if something were to happen to you."

"I'll be careful," Em promised. "Bye Buster." One last scratch and she and Morgan were on their way.

"Who was that?" Morgan asked.

"A nice older man."

"He liked you."

"Ha ha, very funny. He's a widower walking his dog. He chastised me for being by myself."

"I like him already. Are you going to tell your fiancé you were cheating on him?"

"He's not my fiancé…" She wanted so badly to tell Morgan but now was not the right time.

"Okay."

"But I'm sure he'll understand."

"He sounds like a great guy."

"He's beyond great." Emily's lips twitched. _Beyond great is an understatement, _Em answered silently_._

"When do I get to meet him?"

"Soon."

Morgan knew that was the best he was going to get for the moment. "I'm holding you to it."

Inwardly Emily groaned and tried to keep pace.


	7. Chapter 7

_Sorry for the long wait in updating. Life comes at you fast was written for me! Between one-shots and three other stories, plus bad weather and an emergency (not mine!), I put this on the back burner and forgot about it until I got that one review. __**Special thanks to J-to-the-Essica for giving me that kick in the backside**__. _

_For those not familiar with my writing, it's not in error that I switch from first name to last between or in chapters. If the team is at work or in the field, their last names are used. If they are off duty, first names are used._

_All the stats concerning arsonists were taken from the FBI arsonist profiling site. Any mistakes are all mine._

* * *

**Through The Fire**

Prentiss poured herself a cup of coffee and added in a packet of Splenda. Stirring the hot liquid, she set the spoon down and took a cautious sip.

Monday at the BAU. The start of another work week where anything that could happen usually did…and on Hotch's watch. Taking another sip, she walked over to her desk and sat down. It had been two days since her run with Morgan and three since Dave proposed. And she was still torn as to what to do in regard to both. She needed to come clean with Morgan- he was going to know something was up when he noticed her ring was gone.

Sighing, she turned on her computer and while it booted up, began flipping thru the folder on her desk. Even though Strauss had squashed the thought of the team investigating the local abductions and murders, she kept a file on everything she could get hold of. Reading the autopsy and police reports, she tried to get an idea as to where to begin a profile, but gave up. Maybe if she could come up with something strong to point law enforcement in the right direction, Strauss might let them find the son of a bitch who was getting his jollies killing women.

Deep in thought, she didn't see the figure approach. "Long night Princess?" Morgan asked in a teasing tone.

Startled, Prentiss jumped out of her chair. "Jeez Morgan, you scared the hell out of me!" Covering her heart, she threw him a glare.

"Sorry. Another case?" He nodded toward the folder.

"No. It's just something I've been doing on the side."

"May I look?" He reached for the papers. She nodded. "The abduction case?"

"Two of the murders took place five miles from my brownstone, so I thought I might look in to it."

"This is the murder case that JJ was approached to take but Strauss shot down?"

"I thought I might look over it and see if I can come up with a workable profile we can present. Seven murders- four prostitutes and three other women have been murdered, but no one seems to care."

"What's the MO?" Morgan sifted thru the papers.

"Nothing. At least nothing that stands out. He strangles the prostitutes and leaves them virtually untouched, but with the other women he rapes them, stabs them- not necessarily in that order- beats them, and leaves them naked."

Morgan looked at her in surprise. "Are we talking about the same UNSUB?"

"I believe it is."

Closing the folder, he set it down. "It sounds like two UNSUBS. I can see if he was doing that to the prostitutes, but that he isn't doesn't seem normal. Usually an UNSUB has an MO and sticks with it."

"But every now and then an UNSUB can change."

"You think he's trying to throw the police off?"

Prentiss took a sip of her coffee. "Wouldn't put it past him since the local LEOs refuse to call us in. I hate to think what it's going to take to get someone to wake up and smell the coffee."

Morgan sighed. "Whatever it is, it's going to have to hit home in a way they never saw coming."

"I shudder to think."

JJ came over to where they stood. "Hey guys, we just got a case in from Washington. Arson at car lots. Hotch says we leave in twenty."

"An arson on Monday. Is there a better way to start the week?" Morgan replied, tongue in cheek.

"A free trip to The Evergreen State in November. I forgot to pack my all weather coat," Em groused.

"Come on guys," JJ ordered gently.

"I'm right behind you." Prentiss walked over and poured her coffee down the drain. Walking over to her desk, she grabbed her go bag, opened it, and stealthily shoved the DC murder folder inside. Once they were briefed, she could go over her notes. She was missing something, but what?

"Okay, so catch this," Garcia spoke up via the computer screen. "I cross referenced all arsons in the Seattle area over the past two years and of the twenty seven that targeted business- fifteen were construction sites, eight were modular home lots, and four were car dealerships."

"Do you know who were behind the fires?" Hotch asked.

"I do. An off-shoot of the local environmentalist group out of Portland was behind most of them. A lot were copy cats."

"Did anyone die?"

"Most of the fires were committed after everyone went home, but three firefighters were killed in the construction site fires and a security guard was killed when the fire threw a spark on the trailer were he was staying out of the cold after making his rounds." She typed some more. "Oh, that's not good. His wife was pregnant with their fourth child when he was killed."

Morgan looked at Hotch who looked at Rossi.

"Has this car dealership been hit before?" Rossi asked.

Garcia shook her head. "No. In fact, when the others went up, this one managed to avoid being hit."

"Find out if any other fires match this one. Whoever has done this now has done it before, but until we know where…"

"I'm on it. Garcia out." The screen went blank.

"A serial arsonist? Where do we begin to profile that one?" Morgan asked.

"Well, we know that ninety percent of arsonists are white males in their twenties with IQ's between 70-90. They come from broken homes and suffered physical abuse," Prentiss commented and scanned her folder with the current case.

"That's only half of the statistics," Reid spoke up. "The other half are teen-agers between 12-19. They start out with small fires usually around the age of three because they like fire. And now with the internet, they can learn how to set fires and remain unknown."

"Reid's right. The internet helps kids who are already harboring anger toward a parental figure or anyone in authority who might be 'suppressing' them thru verbal or physical abuse," Morgan agreed.

"It's proven that profiling arsonists is pretty tricky because no one particular arsonist fits," Rossi added.

"It could be an inside job to throw off law enforcement. Three suspicious fires in two cities at two car lots. Sounds strange to me." Prentiss shook her head.

"Prentiss, Morgan, when we land, I want you to go to the last two crime scenes. Reid, I want you to stay with JJ and gather all you can about the recent fires. Dave and I will go to the first. Maybe the police missed something that can tell us who this guy is." Closing his folder, he looked at the team. "I would suggest that you guys get some rest so we can get on the case the moment we land."

"The chief of police in Spokane is waiting to meet with you Hotch," JJ read off her blackberry.

"Good. Tell him we'll be there as soon as we land," Hotch directed. JJ sent the message.

As everyone settled back, Em pulled out her murder case folder and studied it. Deeply engrossed she didn't see that Rossi's eyes were trained on her. Or that Morgan was carefully watching the senior agent.

Neither Prentiss nor Rossi saw the slight smile that tugged on Morgan's mouth.


	8. Chapter 8

_Derek's police and profiler instincts are dead on as he lets Em know what he's observed. I decided to skip over the arson case because other than the team being called to profile the UNSUB, it has no bearing on the case. That being said, what happens AFTER they solve the case WILL have bearing on what will happen in the next couple of chapters. _

_For Michaela._

_Special thanks to HansonFan for the translation. I can't say thank you enough for rescuing me. _

**Through The Fire**

Sitting in a restaurant just outside of Seattle, Morgan waited for the waitress to set down the order before turning his attention to Prentiss.

"I know it's not a five-star restaurant, but I hope you like it," he offered and reached for the ketchup bottle at the end of the table.

"After spending the day going from one burned out crime scene to another and then trying to build a profile…when Hotch told us to go back and get some rest, I was not about to argue." Prentiss reached for the ketchup bottle and poured a generous amount on her plate. Dipping a fry in the sauce, she placed it in her mouth and savored the flavour. "Mmmm, that's good."

"It's a fry," Morgan remarked and took a bite of his fully loaded double cheeseburger.

Prentiss closed her eyes. "After two granola bars and three cups of stale coffee for breakfast and lunch, this is heaven." Opening her eyes, she dug into her meal of hot Philly Cheese Steak with extra cheese.

Taking another bite, Morgan watched his partner's every move. There was something about her the past two days that he couldn't put his finger on. First in the BAU jet, then there were the few moments when they were investigating the scenes of the arsons. The pieces were there, but he wasn't sure how they fit. Looking at her left hand, he frowned as the realization dawned.

Prentiss felt Morgan's gaze on her. Shifting in the booth, she tried to concentrate on her plate. "What?"

"Where's your ring?" Morgan asked bluntly.

"I left it back at my place."

"Why?" His eyes tried to hold hers.

"I didn't want to wear it to work," she replied and took a huge bite of her sandwich.

"You're engaged, Princess; I thought maybe you would want the team to know about it."

Chewing quickly, she swallowed the bite. "Do we have to discuss this right now?"

He shrugged. "Why not? We're off for the moment and taking the time to relax over a meal. I figure we could chat about…something interesting."

"The man I'm seeing is not interesting."

Morgan chuckled. "Any man brave enough to come between you and your combat boots is very interesting." Morgan popped a fry in his mouth and chewed thoughtfully. "What I'm trying to understand is why you are keeping him a secret. I can see why you may not want to confide in Garcia or JJ, but it's me here." He went to take a bite of his burger and stopped. "So who is he, Princess?"

"Derek…" Prentiss set her sandwich down and took a long sip of her Diet Coke. "I don't think this is a wise conversation to have during a case."

"We're off the clock." He looked at his watch. "We are at dinner and while we are eating, there is no case." Setting the burger down, his hand covered hers in a gentle understanding way. "Who is he?"

Prentiss wiped her mouth. "I'm not sure…"

"May I take a guess? Even if it's a wild one?"

"Go ahead."

"I'm a profiler by profession, but I'm still a cop. Which really are about the same thing when you break it down. Maybe you didn't think you were dropping hints and clues, but you were. No one else picked up on it, and maybe I wouldn't have if you had kept the ring on."

Prentiss tried to remain calm while her partner spoke his thoughts a loud. Twirling a fry in the sauce, she braced herself for what was coming next.

"It wasn't the ring that set off the alarm bells, but the _lack_ of a ring on Monday when you showed up to work." He took a sip of his Pepsi. "You wore the ring on Saturday and didn't want me to know about it. But you came to work without the ring on Monday because you didn't want people to know about it." He took another sip. "I wasn't surprised that you weren't wearing it, but Rossi was."

"What?" Prentiss felt her heart beat faster than she thought possible.

"How long have you two been seeing each other?" Morgan asked softly.

"What?" she repeatedly stupidly.

"You and Rossi. How long have you guys been seeing each other? Three months? Six?"

"How did you know?" She tried to sound calm but her voice cracked.

"I told you, I was intrigued. And once that happens, I am going to pursue a case until I run out of leads." He picked up the burger and took a bite. "So, tell me I'm wrong."

"You're right," she stated simply. "I guess if anyone was going to find out, it would be you."

"I didn't mean to, and I promise your secret is safe with me."

"I know it is." She tried to concentrate on her meal even though her appetite had gone south. "I haven't accepted the proposal."

"But he gave you a ring."

Prentiss nodded. "He did. I told him that I needed time."

"Makes sense. Don't want to rush things."

Concentrating on the sandwich, Prentiss took her time eating. As she devoured the last bite, she took a long sip of the cold drink to wash it down. Morgan took his time eating, grateful for once not to be rushed.

"He wants me to move in with him."

Lifting a fry to his mouth, Morgan paused. "Oh?"

"I don't think I should."

"Why not?" His curiosity was peaked.

"It's silly…" She stirred her drink with the straw. Feeling Morgan's eyes boor into her, she sighed. "He says he fears for my safety because a couple of the murders took place in the park near the brownstone."

"Wait! You're telling me that we've been running in a park where murders have been happening?" Morgan sputtered.

"Not the murders themselves," Prentiss corrected. "Two women disappeared from there but they were found else where."

"But still, two murders happened there! We ran that trail on Saturday, Prentiss! And you didn't tell me? Why didn't you call me and cancel our run?"

"Because I wanted to go. Nothing has happened in almost two weeks. Besides, I was running with you; nothing was going to happen." Prentiss shrugged and looked over the menu for dessert.

"Your fiancé is David Rossi, Princess. Do you know the ramifications of what could happen if something happened to you?" Morgan tried to keep his voice low.

Prentiss glared at her partner, her eyes snapping with anger. "I will not have some killer, or David Rossi, or even you for that matter, tell me where I can run. Dave wants me to run in a gated community. I like the park where I live."

"I'm not telling you what to do…"

"I'm an FBI agent who can take care of herself. Thank you," Prentiss huffed.

"Emily, stop!" Morgan clasped his hand over hers. "Look, I'm not telling you that you can't go running, or where you can run. I'm telling that I… I care about you. If Rossi wants you to move in with him, I think that would be a great idea. At least until this UNSUB is caught."

The fight went out of Prentiss. "I don't know."

"Tell you what, why don't I take you and Dave to breakfast on Saturday when we get back to Quantico? Maybe I can help him convince you to move in with him. Hell, I'll even help you move."

"Mmmm…"

"I just want you to be safe. Think about it, okay?" Morgan's cell phone went off. Flipping it open, he hit 'talk'. "Morgan here….where? Have Garcia send the GPS to the phone. We're on our way." He shut the phone. "Our firebug has struck again."

Prentiss put the menu back. "So much for dessert. You got this?" She headed toward the door.

"Yeah. I'll meet you at the SUV." Morgan threw some money on the table. "Thanks," he called out to the waitress and quickly followed his partner.

******

"Son of a bitch!" Morgan ground out between clenched teeth as Rossi and Hotch tried to help him into the BAU jet.

"Are you okay Derek?" Rossi asked as he tried to get a tighter grip on the agent and took another step up.

"The freakin UNSUB hit me in the knee cap with a two by four and fractured it. I'm just peachy," he replied sarcastically.

JJ arranged the pillows on the small couch while Prentiss took the crutches in the back and secured them for take off. Maneuvering the tall agent inside the fuselage, Hotch and Rossi struggled to get him across the short space and placed on the couch.

"Thanks," Morgan replied, but his skin was ashen and covered with sweat.

"Are you okay?" JJ asked and positioned a couple pillows under his knee and ankle. She was careful not to touch the brace.

"It's just a little pain, Angel Face. I'll be okay as soon as I can get my stomach to stop rolling." Laying his head back, he closed his eyes. As the rest of the team got situated and ready for take off, Morgan tried to make himself comfortable. Involuntarily he moved his leg and winced.

Prentiss brought over an ice pack and placed it on her partner's knee. "Better?"

"Yeah. I guess we're off for our run on Saturday."

"Don't worry about it." She handed him his I-Pod.

"Thanks." He started to put the buds in but stopped. His eyes searched hers. "We can still do breakfast. I can drive since it was my left leg that was damaged."

"We'll talk about it later. Get some rest." Placing a blanket over Morgan, Prentiss stood up and walked over to the upright chairs. Sitting across from Rossi, she buckled her safety belt.

"Che cosa c'e?" he whispered in Italian.

"E a conoscenza di noi," she replied back and turned her attention to the file she had brought along.

Nodding, Rossi picked up a book and started reading.


	9. Chapter 9

_Sorry for the long wait between chapters. Holidays can really take it out of you. But now I'm going to try and get back on a workable schedule. When last we left the team, they had solved an arson case and the UNSUB busted Morgan's knee…but not before the profiler guessed who Em's mystery man is. Now the team is back in Quantico and Em's finding it harder to keep her secret. Also, in this chapter, the reader will get a quick peek into the Arlington UNSUB._

***WARNING* *WARNING* *WARNING* Second half of the story may make some readers uncomfortable. For that reason, I'm labeling this chapter "M".**

_Chapter dedicated to Michaela. Merry Christmas, Sweetie!_

**Through The Fire**

Emily Prentiss scanned the computer for the daily news and sighed. There hadn't been any other murders in the week they had been in Washington, but with the track record the UNSUB was building, she knew his next victim would be a prostitute. And unlike Desiree Reagan who had someone who cared about her, most ladies of the night were lone wolves who could be gone for weeks before someone noticed. Or cared.

The team had been on nearly two months of cases and it was nearly time for a two week stand down. She had promised Dave they would go to the cabin with Mudgie, but her mother was coming into town and she felt the urge to connect with the woman who had given her life and not much else.

Grabbing her coffee cup, she walked over to the kitchenette and filled it slowly. Things were changing in her life and she wasn't sure how to make heads or tails of them. But in the past two weeks she felt the urge to get her life in some semblance of order. Her one flaw was compartmentalizing and Lord knew that she had let that fall by the wayside.

Sipping her coffee, she glanced down at her left hand. Her ring wasn't there. She wasn't trying to pretend that there was no engagement, but she wasn't sure how to approach it. Her career was going to be over once it was revealed that she and Dave were going to be married.

Married? She shook her head. Where had that thought come from? She rubbed the back of her neck with her hand.

"Hi, Em," JJ greeted and filled her cup. "You look like hell."

"Thanks. I feel like it."

"Is everything alright?"

Prentiss shook her head. "I guess so. This last case took it out of me and then with Morgan getting hurt and my mother coming into town…I really need some time off."

JJ looked at her friend from over the rim of her cup. "I know. Will's been making noises that I need to take a vacation. He doesn't understand that the cold weather brings the murderous thugs out of the woods."

"It has to be that hunting fever." Prentiss topped her coffee off. "It's scary how the seasons bring out a certain type of UNSUB. So, have there been any reports of murders?"

"Three prostitutes went missing while we were in Washington, but that's where the case ends. Police say that they don't have the time or man power to go looking for prostitutes that may have relocated or hooked up with a john."

"Car accidents and domestic calls are more important," Prentiss mumbled.

"Em, you know the life they lead is dangerous enough as it is. The police can't keep an eye on them."

"I know. I just keep thinking that Desiree Reagan and Sara Matthews are connected. I keep going over the folder and the pieces are there but nothing fits. We need a break to let the higher ups bring us in." Prentiss went back to her desk.

"I got a call from Connie Aragon yesterday and she wanted to know if there were any new leads." JJ shrugged. "I had nothing to tell her."

"This job sucks sometimes."

"I agree with you there. I talked to Morgan earlier."

Prentiss raised an eyebrow. "How is he doing?"

"He's about as happy as a caged bear. He can't drive or fly commercially…"

Prentiss sat down. "I think he was going to fly out and visit his mother. Poor guy." Setting her cup down, she looked at the computer screen for any news alerts. "I guess I'd better call him. Any new cases?"

"Nothing yet. Team Bravo should be coming off stand down on Monday and we can start ours."

"Thank God."

"Do you want to go to lunch later?" JJ asked. "My treat."

"Sure."

"Out of curiosity, are you doing anything tomorrow night?"

"Why?"

"I think I might have a date for you."

Prentiss sighed. "Jayje…I'm not looking for anyone."

"It wouldn't really be a date," she corrected quickly. "A friend of Will's is coming into town tonight and we thought we'd take him around DC. Since you aren't seeing anyone, we thought you might want to join us."

Prentiss struggled to come up with the right words to refuse the invitation. "Thanks for thinking of me, but I'm going to have to beg off."

"Oh come on, Em! You haven't been on a date in nearly seven months! You've been consumed by this job. You need to get out more and meet a nice guy."

Prentiss groaned inwardly. This was going to be so awkward. "I want to say yes, but I can't."

"I'm not going to take no for an answer." JJ's eyes twinkled.

"I -"

"Prentiss," Rossi greeted as he came near her desk, "do you have that folder with the notes on the Turner case?"

Prentiss shuffled thru the clutter on her desk. "Uh….right here." She handed the thick folder over to the senior agent. "I went over it twice but couldn't find anything that brings us any closer to a profile."

Rossi let out a breath. "Strauss wants it. She thinks that there might be a lead in Minnesota that ties the crimes in Pepin, Wisconsin and Chicago to the cold case."

"I thought we were going on stand down," Prentiss argued.

"Not if our possible serial killer is crossing state lines." He glanced at the folder. "Oh, could you do me a favour? I have to go out of town this weekend - a meeting with my editor - I need someone to watch Mudgie for me."

"What about Morgan?"

"He's a little incapacitated if you remember. Mudgie has to go out on two long walks. Morgan can't do that." Rossi closed the folder and slapped it against his hand. "If you are intent on running that park, you might as well take Mudgie with you."

Prentiss looked down, her cheeks blushing. "When do you want me to pick him up?"

"I'll drop him off tonight after work." He turned to look at JJ. "Maybe you can ask Garcia to go with you," he suggested and walked off.

"Dog sitting?" JJ asked with an arch of her eyebrow.

"Is it too late to accept the date?" Prentiss joked weakly.

"Guess I'll ask Garcia. Don't forget our lunch date," JJ reminded. Turning around, she walked off. Breathing a sigh of relief, Prentiss leaned back in her chair and stared at the computer.  
*****

The room was damp, cold, and dimly lit. Hands bound, a half-dressed woman hung from the rope suspended from the beam overhead. Sobbing softly, the tears streaked her make-up in long black lines down her cheeks. Her lipstick was smudged crookedly across her lips.

A door closing in the distance caused her head to snap up.

"Who's there?" she rasped. She had screamed and cried so much in the first while after being abducted that she could barely speak.

"I brought something for you," the deep voice answered.

She struggled against her bounds. "Let me go. I promise I won't tell anyone."

"I'm not worried about that because even if you did, no one would ever believe a whore like you." The figure sat down on a chair in front of the woman. Placing the brown bag on his lap, he opened it. The scent of hot food wafted out to fill the room.

"Doesn't that smell good?" he taunted. The woman swallowed and shook her head. "Want some?"

"No."

"No, what?"

"No, thank you." Her stomach rumbled in protest.

Opening the box containing the Big Mac, he picked it up. "I think you're lying."

"No, I'm not," she contradicted.

He stood up and walked over to her. "Yes, you are, but whores are liars any way. They tell you want you want to hear…for a price." He teased the burger under nose and watched as she closed her eyes and turned her head away. "They let you use them for your sick fantasies, and then kick you in the balls when they're done. They act like they're doing you a favour."

He pushed the burger against her lips. She thinned her lips.

"Take a bite," he ordered. She refused. "I said 'take a bite!'"

"I'm not hungry," she sobbed. "Just let me go. I want my mom."

"Whores don't have mothers. They don't have children. All they have are those pretty tricks under their short skirts. Are you afraid that I poisoned it?" he asked in a taunting tone.

She struggled to find the right word to not anger him. The last time she had said something wrong and he had beaten her until she passed out. No matter how she struggled to think, she couldn't remember what the word was that set her captor off.

"Tell you what, I'll bite first, then you take one." He bit into the double stacked burger. Making a big show, he moaned in ecstasy as he took his time chewing and swallowing. Wiping his hand across his mouth, he smacked his lips. "That was good. Now your turn."

Hesitantly, she opened her mouth as he brought the food closer. At the last moment, he pushed it against her face. Crying out, she jerked back and caused the burger to fall to the ground.

"Now look what you did, you fucking whore!" he raged. Slapping her repeatedly until her head swung limply, he cursed her and shouted.

Her ears ringing, she barely felt him until the rope holding her up. Dazed and confused, she felt a push from behind and fell to the ground.

"Pick it up!" he ordered.

"I'm sorry," she sobbed as she blindly searched for the food.

"I said to pick it up now! If you know what's good for you."

Blinded by the blood running from the cut over her eye, she touched the ground until her fingers closed around the bun.

"Eat it!"

She took a bite and tasted dirt. Immediately her mouth rejected it. "I can't."

"Yes, you can. And you will. Ever single bite."

Sobbing and praying, she did as she was told.

"You missed some over there," he pointed to a spot behind her. Turning, she crawled on her knees to where he indicated. Suddenly an arm went around her neck and threatened to cut off her air.

"I'm sorry," she choked out.

Holding her still, he used his other hand to unfasten his belt and lower his zipper. "No, you're not; but you will be." Thrusting his hips forward, he took her there. Fast, hard, and furious he pounded into her as she screamed for help but his mind was elsewhere.

As his orgasm overwhelmed him, he wrapped both hands around her throat and held on tight as he continued thrusting as though he was on auto-pilot.

"Fuck me! Fuck me!" he chanted in a singsong. Suddenly his body jerked forward. One last thrust. He tightened his grip as he exploded inside of her.

As his mind cleared, he loosened his hold on the woman's neck. Her eyes were closed as her body hit the concrete hard.

Breathing hard, he pulled up his jeans. Fastening the belt, he touched a couple of fingers to the prone woman's throat. Then he smiled.

The bitch was still alive. Just as well…she had a lot of fight and that excited him. He wanted to try her one more time before getting rid of her.

Kicking her in the ribs, he left the room. He had other obligations and he had to clean things up before his mother got home.

Turning out the light, he closed the door behind him.


	10. Chapter 10

_Sorry about that last chapter. To be honest, I don't know where it came from - I started writing and it seemed the UNSUB started talking and wouldn't let me go until he let me know who and what he is. That being said, now I'm back on track with a chapter that is slowly leading up to that chapter that will start the ball rolling._

_Song reference in this chapter: "It Never Rains In Southern California" by Albert Hammond_

**Through The Fire**

Emily was pouring herself a glass of wine when the doorbell rang. Setting the bottle down on the counter, she grabbed the glass and hurried to the foyer. Checking thru the peep hole, she breathed a sigh and released the security latch.

"Hi Dave," she greeted as she swung the door open to let him in. A black flash darted past her to run into the living room and jumped on the recliner.

"Mudgie, get off the chair!" Dave ordered and took the wine glass from Em's hand. The black Lab whined.

"That's alright," she assured. Shivering against the wind chill, she closed the door. "It's gotten cold out there." Taking the glass from Dave, she sipped. "I didn't think you were going to stop by."

"Why not? I said I was going to bring Mudgie by."

"I know what you said, but I wasn't sure if that was just your way of keeping me from coming up with an excuse not to go with JJ." Em took the far end of the couch. Reaching for the remote, she turned off the TV and switched on a CD. The soft strains of Peabo Bryson filled the room.

"That was part of it. But I also wanted to see you before I flew out."

"How long will you be gone?" she asked, her finger circling the rim of the glass.

"I'll be back tomorrow night…if everything goes according to plan."

Em curled her legs under her. "Is anything wrong?"

Dave shrugged. "With the holidays around the corner, she wants to make sure that the dates for the release of the new book and subsequent signings goes off without a hitch." He sighed. "She also mentioned a workshop or two."

"_You_ conducting a workshop?" she chided with the rise of an eyebrow. "The students will never know what hit them."

"If you're going to be a writer, be a good one."

"Don't let your arrogance intimidate them." She finished her wine and set the glass down on the coffee table. "I called Morgan."

"How is he?"

"Pissed. He's still wishing he had taken that shot when he had the chance."

"Assault of a federal officer with a deadly weapon will add another ten years on the UNSUB's sentence," Dave remarked.

"But Morgan is going to be out of the field for at least six weeks."

"What's wrong with that?" Dave asked and moved in closer. Reaching over, he pulled the clip from her hair and let the black locks fall over her shoulders.

"We are going to have to pair up until he gets back. We can't. What are you doing?" she asked as his lips trailed across her neck.

"Nothing," he murmured against her skin as his hands slowly stroked her.

"You're changing the subject," she accused. "Dave, I'm serious. We can't pair up."

"Why not?" His hands moved down to cup her breast and knead it gently.

"Because…of this." She tried to concentrate but his touch was breaking her down.

"I don't know what you mean," he replied innocently.

"We have a relationship."

"It's about time you observe it." He shifted his weight to get a better angle. "We have a professional relationship at work. We always have." His fingers released the buttons on her blouse.

"I know, but now that we're…"

Dave pulled back to look at her. "Now that we're…what?" he asked, his eyebrow rose in question.

Blushing, Em raised her left hand to show him the ring. "Engaged…to be engaged."

Brushing a lock of hair from her face, he cupped her cheek. "That's a start. Not exactly what I was expecting to hear, but I'll take any step forward that I can get."

"I don't know if we can be partnered."

"Afraid that you won't be able to keep your hands off of me?" he teased.

"Ha! I could ask you the same question. How in the world did you ever catch the bad guys with your insatiable sexual appetite?" she asked as his hand moved to the waistband of her slacks and dipped inside.

"Because I never mix business with pleasure. Maybe you noticed that I let you have your space during that last case."

"Yes," she gasped as his fingers stroked her.

"Knowing that you will be waiting for me when I get home is more than enough incentive to follow the FBI regulations."

"What are you saying?" Em's eyes searched his.

"There is nothing that I wouldn't do for you Em. Climb a mountain, swim an ocean…I'd walk through the fires of hell if it meant having you."

"Dave…"

"God have mercy on anyone who tries to take you away from me." He pulled her closer to him and molded her body to fit his. His mouth covered hers for long hot kiss.

Pulling back, Em tried to gather her thoughts. "What times does your plane leave?"

"In two hours." Dave stood and gathered her into his arms.

"But Dave…" she protested.

"I've done the electronic check-in via my blackberry and I only have a carry on. I have time to get there and catch my flight." His mouth teased her flesh. "I need a little bon voyage present before I leave."

"Mmmm," Em moaned as his hands and mouth worked in tandem. "Don't stop."

"Never," he promised and picked her up in his arms. "I know I'm going to rush this, but I will make it up to you when I get back."

"I'm holding you to it."

"Can I get a rain check?"

"I'm dog-sitting for you."

"Touché." He trailed kisses over her face. "I need you Em."

"What are you waiting for?" she challenged. His reply was to tighten his grip on her as he took two stairs at a time to her bedroom. Kicking the door closed, he put her on the bed and covered her body with his.

Downstairs, Mudgie sighed and looked up from his place on the recliner as he heard the door close. Dinner was just going to have to wait, he guessed. Sighing again, he laid his head back down.  
*****

Dave pulled his clothes on as quickly as he could. Looking at his watch, he estimated that he could still bring Mudgie's stuff inside and make it to Reagan International in time. Tucking his shirt into his slacks, he looked down at the sleeping woman wrapped in Egyptian cotton sheets. A present he had given her for their 3 month anniversary. He loved to spoil her and if he had it his way, he would be doing it for the rest of his life.

Fastening his belt, he reached for his double lined Eisenhower jacket and slipped it on. Leaning over, he brushed his lips against Em's soft cheek.

"Tesoro?" he whispered in her ear.

"Hmmm?"

"I have to leave."

"I know," she replied thickly and burrowed her face deeper into the custom made pillow.

"I'll let Mudgie out and bring his things in. Okay?"

"Sure."

Dave ran a hand over her soft black hair. He wished he didn't have to go, but his job called him and he had an obligation. But he would be back tomorrow night and make it up to her.

"I'll call you tomorrow morning," he promised and pulled the covers up over her shoulders.

"Okay."

He kissed her hard and deep before breaking away. He had to leave.

"I love you," he whispered. Her answer was a soft snore. Walking to the door, he opened it. Turning around, he took one last glance at Em. Then he closed the door and left.  
****

"How's Mudgie been?" Dave asked as he flipped thru the planner Eleanor had handed him earlier.

"An angel," Em answered as she put another log on the fire and replaced the grate.

"Are we talking about the same dog? Last week he ate my favourite slippers then threw them up on the patio."

"Oh God! I'm hiding my shoes." Em sat down on the couch. Mudgie came over and laid his head on her lap.

"The Vet said it was a stage, so everything should be alright."

Em shuddered. "I don't want to think about it. So, how is the weather out in L.A.?"

He set aside the planner and opened the folder filled with enough information concerning the book tour to make his head explode. "Miserable, and not because you aren't here; it's been raining cats and dogs."

"_They say it never rains in Southern California_," Em sang teasingly.

"Well someone forgot to tell Mother Nature that before she unleashed a tsunami," he groused. Glancing at the schedule he made his change marks in red pen and corrections in green.

"Well, she isn't giving us much of a break here either. It's colder than a witch's ass outside and it snowed last night," Em complained.

"Is that a bad thing?" he asked absently.

"I was going to take Mudgie for a run this morning, but he only made to across the street before running back inside."

"Smart dog," Dave praised. Flipping the papers, he continued to make notes. "Even he doesn't want you to go running."

"Will you be home tonight?" Em asked evenly as she scratched Mudgie's head.

"I'm pretty sure of it. I've been checking on the flights and so far everything is still on time. Why?"

"JJ called earlier and is determined that I go out with her and Will because their friend is in town."

"What did you say?"

"That I would go if I could bring you along."

Dave's pen hesitated. "What?"

"I told her that you and I are seeing each other."

Laying his pen down, he leaned back in his chair and smiled. "What did she have to say to that?"

"That it explained numerous things that she couldn't put her finger on for the past 7 months."

"Well, she's not a full fledged profiler," Dave observed. "But I thought she would have figured it out before Morgan did."

"What time does your plane leave LAX?" Her blackberry vibrated on the coffee table. Picking it up, she clicked it on and saw a text from JJ.

"In three hours. I should be there by five."

"Okay." Em texted the ETA to JJ. "I just let JJ know what time we'd meet her for dinner."

Dave ran a hand over his eyes. Texting. He was still behind on technology but whenever he tried to catch up, it kept changing. With the rate of new items hitting the market, he was never going to make it into the 21st Century.

"Well, I will see you later," he promised.

"Tell Eleanor that I said hello and to make sure that at least two of your book signings are in warm tropical locations around Christmas."

"I will."

"Bring me something back from California."

"I am…me," Dave answered.

"Smart ass."

"That I am." He paused for a moment. "Em…I -"

A beep broke in. "Dave, that's my mother. I have to go."

"Sure. Tell the Ambassador hello for me."

"Will do. Bye."

"Bye." Dave hung up the phone. In their 7 months together, he had yet to tell her to her face those three little words. He had almost told her when they were interrupted. It shouldn't bother him, but he couldn't shake that feeling that something was going to happen and he would never be able to tell how he felt.

Looking at his watch, he sighed. His plane was leaving in three hours. All he had to do was drop his dossier off with Eleanor and then head to LAX. Then he would be back home in Em's arms.


	11. Chapter 11

_The only thing I can say about this chapter is: the best laid plans of mice and men have nothing on Mother Nature and a dead I-Pod battery._

**Through The Fire**

Dave looked out the huge windows of the LAX airport. The rain was still coming down in sheets. Sighing, he looked at his watch. If they could board in the next forty minutes, he could just make his connecting flight at DFW to be back in DC.

A sound came over the intercom, followed by a voice.

"_Attention all passengers. Due to the harsh weather conditions and the possibility of severe winds, all flights have been cancelled until further notice. We ask that all passengers remain where you are as we do our best to reschedule your flights. We apologize for the inconvenience."_

The normal sound of the gates was increased by fifty percent as people shouted, cursed, and demanded to talk to whoever was in charge. Now.

Pulling out his phone, Dave pushed two numbers.

"Eleanor? It's Dave. I hate to bother you, but the flights have been cancelled. I'll be staying the night here in LA. I will call you back when I get settled." Hitting disconnect, he stood up. Grabbing his carry on, he looked at the throngs of people bombarding the ticket counters. He was stuck in LA - the one place he hated more than anything on earth - for the night and there was nothing he could do about it.

He would get a room and then change his ticket over. Then he would call Em.  
****

Sipping carefully from the wineglass, Em shot a look at the handsome young man sitting opposite of her. The best friend of Will La Montange - a fellow brother in blue from Baton Rouge. Scanning him, she took in the little things most people would miss: the clenching of his hands, his over zealous laughter, and the way he was unable to make eye contact with her. All reasons to suspect or dismiss him.

Or maybe she was just reading too much into a situation she had no desire to be a part of, but a deal was a deal and she couldn't back out on JJ.

"JJ tells me you lived in Saudi Arabia for a few years."

Em stared at the glass in her hand and missed the question. JJ gave her a kick under the table. Snapping back to the present, Em shook her head.

"I'm sorry," she apologized. "You asked me something…?" She struggled to remember the man's name.

"Gary," he supplied. "You lived in Saudi Arabia?" Em nodded. "That must have been interesting."

"My mother was stationed there from 77 to 81."

"The Carter years. So, you were there during the hostage crisis."

"I was only six when that happened and we were living in the embassy, so I don't really remember it."

"Do you speak Arabic?" Gary asked with a twinkle in his eye.

Em leveled the famous Prentiss look. "I actually speak five languages…Arabic being one of them."

"I always wanted to learn something other than Cajun."

Em raised her eyebrow dramatically and sipped from her wineglass. "Oh."

Sensing the change, JJ changed the subject. "I heard on the Weather Channel that the storm over LA should be moving out by morning so Dave should be back home."

"Hopefully." She didn't want to think about Dave being stuck in LA or even on a plane during a storm.

"Who's Dave?" Gary asked innocently.

"Emily's intended," Will answered. "David Rossi."

The meaning slowly dawned on Gary. "You're engaged to the author David Rossi?"

"Well…" Em started and looked to JJ for help.

"Not officially," JJ interjected. "They are keeping it low key until after the first of the year."

"Congratulations. I have been a fan of David Rossi's for…the longest time. I read his first book in the sixth grade and decided then and there I wanted to be a police officer." Gary looked at the empty chair. "It's too bad he couldn't be here tonight."

"I know," Em replied and poured herself another drink. What the hell, she wasn't going drive tonight.

"Next to him, I love Kurt Vonnegut, too."

Em's ears perked up.

"Emily is a huge Vonnegut fan," JJ remarked.

"Really?" Eyes twinkling, Gary proceeded to ask away.  
****

Twirling the empty beer bottle on the table, the lone figure in the kitchen watched it until it came to a stop. He was frustrated and angry. He had had this latest capture for almost a week and he was growing tired of her. Not that she hadn't been fun while it lasted, but it was time for some fresh meat.

He knew what he wanted…or rather who. He had seen her a couple of weeks ago jogging in the park. Long, luscious legs in black shorts, her long black hair pulled back in a pony tail. Just thinking about her was enough to make his blood boil hot.

Spinning the bottle again, he watched it before swinging his hand out and throwing it to the floor. The sound of the glass breaking filled the room. He wanted _her_. And he would have her if it was the last thing he did.

Unless she was running with her partner. Tall and well built, he should have been intimidated, but had the old man not been there, he was confident that he could have taken the black man without a moment's hesitation.

Standing up, he looked out the kitchen window. The snow had stopped. That was a good sign. With any luck, she would be running tomorrow…sans partner. He had seen her a few times and realized that she ran on alternate weekends. And tomorrow was Sunday - her alternate weekend day.

Unless the old man with the dog was there too.

It was time to stop fucking around and get down to business. If the old man was there, well, he shrugged indifferently, he would just have to be eliminated.

He started to turn toward the hidden door but stopped. He could relieve some of his frustration on his pretty little toy, but then again it might be wise to hold on to some of that energy for tomorrow. He was confident that he would succeed…and if he didn't…well, then he could take care of business.

Turning out the lights, he went to his room. Tomorrow was going to start early.  
****

Tugging on her thick purple jogging pants, Em slipped her running shoes on. She had slept in a little that morning, but she had an excuse: she got a little drunk the night before.

Sitting down on the side of the bed, she tied her shoes. She hadn't gotten obnoxious, but she had to do something to tune Gary's voice out. He had tried to woo her and tease her and if it hadn't been for the fact that he was the best friend of her best friend's fiancé, she would be at the FBI headquarters filling out an incident report.

Standing up, she stretched and jumped in place to get her blood moving. Warmed up and a little more awake, she grabbed a t-shirt and her FBI Academy sweatshirt and donned them.

Securing her hair, she pulled on her wash cap and called for Mudgie.

"Come on boy! It's time to go outside." Opening the door, she grabbed the key and put it around her neck. "Come on." From his spot on the couch, the dog looked out the door and whined. Em sighed. It looked like rain.

"_Dammit Emily!" Dave barked as he tried to mop up the water on the floor and wipe the walls and everything else that had been drenched when Mudgie shook himself dry. "Look what he's done. Did you have to walk him in the rain?"_

"_I'm sorry, Dave," she retorted, her hands firmly on her hips. Reaching for a towel, she tried to clean herself up before kneeling down on the floor. "We got caught in the storm."_

"_You could have dried him off in the laundry room."_

"_He slipped out of his collar as we walked thru the door. I didn't really get a chance." Mudgie came over and stood beside Em. Vigorously she rubbed him with a towel. "I don't know what the big deal is; it's just a little water."_

"_It's the smell, Emily. I can't stand the stench of wet dog."_

"_I'll wash him if that makes you feel better." Using the towel, she mopped up the rest of the water on the ceramic tile. "Why do you even have a dog if you can't stand the smell?"_

"_Because I like dogs and I don't take him out in the rain if I can help it."_

"_I should have figured you'd be fussy with your dog too." Tossing the towel at Dave, she called for Mudgie. "Come on boy; let's go get you a nice warm bath so you smell good. Too bad your dad doesn't know that you are a dog and you are supposed to stink."_

The memory flashed through Em's brain. There wouldn't be enough time to wash Mudgie and get him dried off before Dave got back. Even if there was, she wasn't going to risk it. Besides, she didn't have his shampoo, so maybe it was just as well he stayed inside.

"Come on Mudge; just to the tree and back. Then you can sleep on the couch," she offered.

Jumping down, the black Lab ran out the door. Within a minute he was back inside and curled on a cushion. Grabbing her windbreaker, Em locked the door.

"It's too cold to run for too long. I'll be back real fast. I promise." Closing the door behind her, she skipped down the steps and turned on her I-Pod. Hitting random play, a Dean Martin song came on.

Pulling on her gloves, she counted the beats and started a pace to keep up with the music. Down to the end of the street, she looked both ways before crossing into the park.

Taking the brick lined path, she lost herself in the song as she entered the tunnel. Coming out on the other side, she headed toward the tree when the music suddenly stopped.

Pulling up short, she looked down at the device and tapped it. Nothing. Shaking it, she tried to get it to start. Nothing.

Taking off her glove so she could get a better feel, the I-Pod slipped from her fingers and landed on the concrete.

"Son of a bitch," Em bit out as the wind picked up. Bending over, she tried to retrieve the pieces. "What else can go wrong today?"

Suddenly a hand clamped over her mouth and nose. Automatically her defenses went on high alert as she tried to fight against the vise like grip around her chest. Struggling frantically, she kicked, but the attacker already had the advantage of surprise on their side.

Biting the hand over her mouth, Em started to scream when an arm went around her throat. Black dots danced in front of her eyes. Desperate, she clawed but she couldn't breathe. Slowly the fight left her body as the black dots became larger.

_I should have brought Mudgie, _she thought as she went down_. Dave is going to kill me for not bringing Mudgie. _

Then her world went black.


	12. Chapter 12

_**Emily is about to wake up and realize that Dave's worst fears have come true. Meanwhile, Dave has returned home from California to find an empty brownstone and a frantic Mudgie.**_

* * *

**Through The Fire**

Emily Prentiss had no idea where she was or what time it was. Her head hurt and she couldn't breathe. Trying to get her tongue to work, she realized that it was covered with dirt. She tried to spit it out but gagged as some of it went down her throat. Struggling against the binds encircling her wrists, she tried to move.

"Come on Em," she encouraged herself, "you can do this." With everything she had, she rolled over into a sitting position. Groaning as the pain in her hip threatened to overwhelm her nervous system, she breathed in through her nose.

A heavy throbbing in her head made her close her eyes. Groaning, she forced herself to remember the last moments in the park. The dark room prevented her from knowing the time, but she figured from the crick in her neck it had to have been a couple hours.

"Great Emily," she muttered to herself, "why didn't you bring Mudgie?" Struggling again, she tried unsuccessfully to free herself. Sighing, she gave up. "Think Em; think. Dave is going to be home soon and know that something is out of the ordinary. Just remain calm."

"Shhh," a soft voice called out from the darkness. "If he hears you, he'll make sure you regret it."

Em strained to see something in the pitch black room. "Who are you?"

"Theresa," the voice sniffled. "I'm telling you not to let him hear you. He hates any noise. Even when he's torturing you, you can't make any noise."

"Theresa, I'm Emily Prentiss from the FBI. I need to know how long you've been here."

"I don't know. What day is it?"

"Sunday."

"Uh, I think I came down here on Wednesday night; I can't remember."

Em frantically searched her mind for the basic profile she put together for the UNSUB. The ME had reported that the killer was holding the women for three days before killing and disposing of them. Today was the fourth day for Theresa.

"Theresa, have there been other women here…with you?" Em whispered.

"There was one when I got here, but she was gone when…I don't know…I'm scared."

"I know you are, but you have to remain calm. You can't show him any fear."

"I know about the other women who have been turning up dead. I'm next," Theresa sobbed.

Em tried again to free herself. "Theresa, you have to listen to me; you have to stay strong and remain calm. He wants your fear. It's what feeds him."

The woman sniffled again. "I don't know."

"Has he hurt you?"

"Yes."

"I have to ask this: are you a prostitute?"

"Yes. Why?"

"So, he hasn't raped you," Em observed.

"Is that a good thing?"

"Yes." It was as honest as Em could be without scaring the already frightened woman.

"Okay."

"What if he comes back?"

"Did he say he would?"

"Yes. He threw you down here and tied you up and then he left."

"Did he say anything?"

"He told me to get ready for the show."

Em felt her blood run cold. "Theresa, how is he restraining you?"

"My wrists. There is a rope from the ceiling. I haven't eaten in days. I don't think I can get loose."

"It's okay."

A long silence filled the room.

"No it isn't," Theresa whispered.

Em had no reply.  
*****

Dave hunkered down into his coat as the frigid wind tore around him. Running up the steps to Emily's brownstone, he tried to hold on to his briefcase but his fingers were growing numb. Pressing the buzzer, he waited for the door to unlock.

Stomping hard to get the blood circulating in his feet, Dave hit the buzzer again. Nothing.

"Em, open up; it's me Dave."

Silence.

"Em, come on. I know I'm late, but we got rerouted thru Chicago." A scratching on the other side caught his ear. His instincts went on high alert. Setting the briefcase and go bag down on the porch, he reached for his keys. Sifting thru the dozen or so keys he located the one to Em's house.

Cautiously, he inserted and turned the lock. With one hand on the knob and the other on his gun, Dave took a deep breath and opened the door.

Immediately he was barreled over by Mudgie. Trying to calm the dog down, Dave kept his senses on alert. "Hey boy," he whispered a greeting and patted the dog's head. "Go to the tree and come back." Quickly Mudgie did as he was told. Whining, he looked at his master and then at the front door.

"Stay beside me," Dave commanded as he unholstered his weapon and stepped in the front room. Making a visual sweep, he checked for something out of place while his ears listened for something…anything. Room to room he made the same check until he stood outside the master bedroom. Putting his ear to the door, he paused.

The door was closed. That was not a good sign. Counting to three, he raised his leg and kicked the door hard. As it flung open, he rushed in and found nothing. Letting out a sigh, he replaced his gun.

With his hands on his hips, he looked around the room. "Where the hell are you, Em?" he asked no one in particular. From the hall, Mudgie whined and scratched. Dave watched him. "What's wrong boy? What is it you know?"

The black Lab started dancing around frantically. Running to the front door, he stood on the porch and barked. Dave quickly followed. Closing and locking the door, Dave watched as the dog jumped down the steps toward the sidewalk and then took off.

"Mudgie! Wait!" Dave hurried to catch up. He was cold, tired, hungry, and his knees hurt from sitting on planes and in terminals for two straight days. He wanted a shower and make slow, sweet love to the woman of his heart. But in his trained FBI agent's gut, he knew something was hinkey. Em was gone and Mudgie was frantic.

Looking both ways as he crossed the street to the park, he tried to keep an eye on the dog but as Mudgie rounded a corner, Dave lost sight. Picking up the pace, he scanned the area with a trained eye.

Burrowing down into the coat, he flexed his fingers. "Mudgie, where are you?"

As if hearing the question, Mudgie started barking. Dave ran over. From the distance he saw the Lab digging at something. It appeared to be a small animal. "Mudgie, what do you have in your mouth?" Dave asked. Mudgie whined louder.

Reaching the dog, Dave knelt down and took the item from the canine's mouth. _An I-pod? What the hell?_ He turned it over in his hand. "Mudgie, you ran out of the house to find a broken I-pod?" Looking down he noticed scratch marks on the back side. _07291457._

Dave felt his stomach fall. Em's agent ID number. She scratched it onto all of her portable items to identify them, and he had laughed at her. Not anymore.

Standing up, he went into federal agent mode. Scanning the area, he reached for his phone. Pressing one number he waited.

"Hotch? It's Dave. Em's missing. I am going to need a team of investigators at Patton Park." He waited for Hotch's reply. "I think she's become a victim of the UNSUB we weren't supposed to worry about."


	13. Chapter 13

_**Dave has called Hotch and the team to the park. The tension between the FBI and local LEOs is sharp enough to slice bread. But the clock on Em's abduction began hours earlier and the more time they let pass, the faster the window for finding her alive is closing.**_

_**FYI: creative license was heavily used with the scene involving Mudgie.**_

* * *

**Through The Fire**

Dave listened for the sirens in the distance approach where he stood. It had been a little over ten minutes since he placed the call to Hotch that Emily was missing. A black Jeep Cherokee sped down the road and braked suddenly next to the curb. Hazard lights flashing, the figure jumped out and rushed over.

"Dave," Hotch called out. "What is going on?"

"Emily is gone."

"Start from the beginning."

"I left Mudgie with her while I was out of town. You heard about the storm that hit Los Angeles?" he asked. Hotch nodded. "I was stuck in that. I got back here about…an hour ago. I showed up to Emily's brownstone and found Mudgie in distress. Emily was gone."

"Are you sure she didn't go somewhere?" Hotch replied. The sound of more car doors slamming filled the air.

Dave shook his head. "Her car is still here. Also, I texted my ETA after getting diverted to Chicago."

"Do you think it happened there?"

"No. Mudgie wouldn't have let that happen. Plus, I checked through out the brownstone and there was no sign of a struggle." Dave drew the I-Pod from his coat pocket. "I went looking for her after Mudgie ran this way. I found this on the ground."

Hotch took the device and looked at it. "How does this prove Emily was abducted?"

"Look on the back. See the numbers? That is Em's ID; she scratches it into all of her stuff. It drives me crazy."

Hotch examined the I-Pod. "Where did you find it?"

"Right here." Dave pointed to the ground. "I think she went for a jog and he caught her here."

Hotch glanced around the area. His face was devoid of emotion. "She wouldn't have let her guard down."

"Even if she had, she could have taken him on. Somehow he got the upper hand. I don't know what happened to divert her attention, but she's gone and now her house and this area is a crime scene."

Hotch turned the device over in his hands. "Did you call the team?"

"I called Garcia, who called the others."

"I called Strauss."

Dave's face hardened. "Why? We had the opportunity to get on this case over a week ago and we were told that it wasn't a priority. Now a federal agent is missing and suddenly this is important?"

"Dave…"

"No, Hotch. Eight women - that we know of - have disappeared and turned up dead. Emily may have become the UNSUB's victim because no one thought the previous lives were important. Did you know that Em's been studying this case trying to find that something to link the victims?"

"Dave…" He was interrupted as JJ came running up.

"Hotch! What is going on?" JJ asked breathlessly.

"Emily was abducted," he answered.

JJ's eyes widened. "Here? In the park?" The two older agents nodded. "Oh my gosh! This is Patton Park? Didn't three women turn up dead here?" Another nod. "Why would she go running here?"

"Because Strauss didn't think the previous eight women's lives were important," Dave bit out.

"Dave." Hotch raised a hand in caution.

A police officer and another man approached the small group. "Special Agent Hotchner? I'm Detective Peters. I got the call that a federal agent may have become the latest victim of a potential serial killer?"

"Not may have," Dave corrected, "she _has._ Where the hell have the police been? Eight women have turned up dead. Three bodies have been recovered in various sections of this park, and yet the FBI has not been invited in."

"Dave," Hotch cautioned again.

"Excuse me, uh," the detective searched for a response.

"Special Agent David Rossi," Dave supplied.

"Rossi?" The detective arched his eyebrow. "Agent Rossi, as you may know, the police are stretched thin right now. With budget cuts and crime going up…"

"Excuses. Women are dead and now an agent is missing and you want to tell me that budget cuts are responsible. That's bullshit!"

"Dave!" Hotch snapped. "Detective, I'm Aaron Hotchner. The federal agent is named Emily Prentiss. It is our belief that she went out for a run when she was abducted." Hotch handed the I-Pod to the detective.

"What is this?"

"Her I-Pod. It was found right here." He pointed to where Mudgie sat.

"How do you know that this is hers?"

"Her FBI ID number is on the back.

"Are you sure that she didn't run off with a boyfriend?" Detective Peters inquired.

"I'm sure. This is a federal agent we are talking about…a damn good federal agent," Dave growled. "Why are you asking these bullshit questions when precious time is passing?"

"I have to ask."

"Well, I'm sure you are aware that most abductions have a twenty four hour window, right? The longer we sit on this, the less likely we have of finding…" Dave left the last part unspoken. "She usually goes running at seven a.m. It is my guess that Mudgie was alone for more than eight hours. That means the clock already started and we are going to have to catch up." A heavy silence followed.

"What do you suggest?" Detective Peters asked.

"If she was abducted, the UNSUB had to have been lying in wait," JJ supplied.

"The area off the path is brush and trees…a great hiding place. There is no way we can possibly find out where he was and which direction he took," Peters pointed out.

"Mudgie will know."

"Excuse me?" Detective Peters blinked. "What is a Mudgie?"

"Mudgie is my dog. If there is a scent, he will be able to pick it up."

The detective shook his head. "I can't allow this. Your…Mudgie is not a LEO. Nor is he part of the K-9 Unit. I can't authorize it."

"Mudgie was trained at the FBI, and although he is not part of the force, he is just as good as any K-9 you have on staff. He hunts regularly and he has an excellent nose. He is familiar with Emily and if anyone can find out where the UNSUB was or where he may have gone, he can do it."

"I…I will have to call my higher ups."

"Detective, how long will it take to get a K-9 Unit out here?" Hotch asked.

Peters shrugged. "Forty minutes."

"It's going to snow," Hotch observed. "That will destroy the evidence. I suggest we let the dog try. It's our best chance of finding something that can link this guy to the other cases."

"This is unethical," Peters argued.

"So was not letting the FBI get involved when you had the chance," Dave bit out.

Peter went to respond but Hotch interrupted. "Technically, this case now involves a Federal Agent and is no longer a police matter, so the point is moot. Let Mudgie do his job and I'll see what I can do to make sure all of these cases get equal treatment."

'Okay," Peters conceded.

Dave called the dog. "Mudgie, find Emily." He took the I-Pod from Hotch and let the dog sniff it. "You got it? Go find her."

Nose to the ground, Mudgie started sniffing. Slow and careful, he walked back and forth. Not a sound was made as the group held their breath. Slowly the seconds ticked by. Mudgie sniffed carefully.

Suddenly he stopped and went erect. Nose in the air, he started whining. Heading off the sidewalk, he moved to the ground covered by leaves.

Putting his nose to the ground again, he pushed thru the debris and then stopped. Whining, he looked to Dave.

"What does that mean?" Peters asked.

"Em's scent ends there," Dave replied as his heart sank. Walking over to the spot, he looked at the ground carefully.

"How is that possible?"

"Look there," Dave pointed. Hotch came over. "Drag marks. He must have over powered her on the path and dragged her to this area."

"How did he get her out of here without being seen?"

"Sunday morning…cold with drizzle and snow in the forecast…not much chance of an audience," the boyish looking police officer remarked. "It's a perfect condition for a perp to make his move. He could have carried her out without being seen."

"Good observation, Officer," Hotch commended.

"So, where did he go?" Peters asked as his frustration started building.

"Mudgie, scent," Dave ordered. This time the dog moved quickly as he picked up on a familiar scent beside the huge oak. Barking frantically, he stated gnawing on the trunk of the tree. "Well, now you know where he was hiding."

"Officers, cordon off this area for evidence," Peters ordered. With purpose, two officers began taping off the area.

Mudgie sniffed again and paused. Moving fast, his nose to the ground, he sniffed furiously. Thru the brush, he continued his quest. Hotch, Dave, Peters, JJ, and a police officer followed. Catching the scent, Mudgie started trotting until he got to a dirt path. Dancing around, he barked loudly.

"Now we know how he made his get away," Dave informed and knelt down beside the tire tracks.

"You mean to tell me that he parked a half mile away from the path, carried his victim to a get away car and made his escape?" Peters asked in disbelief. "Why go thru all that work for an abduction?"

Dave stood up. "Because he was fixated on his victim. This was not a random act. He planned this from the beginning."

"You're saying that he had his eye on your agent?" Detective Peters asked.

"Along with his other victims," Hotch corrected.

"Why?"

Dave brushed the dirt from his hands. "Because he is a serial killer. And our agent has just become his latest victim."


	14. Chapter 14

_The police may not have made the connection between the cases, but the team is about to discover that the cases are definitely connected. In doing so, red flags and tempers are going to be raised._

* * *

**Through The Fire**

Rushing off the elevator into the bullpen, Hotch directed JJ and Reid to the war room. Garcia was already in her computer lair trying to find anything she could to determine who the UNSUB could be and pull up any and all information on the previous cases. A confirmed scent, three cigarette butts, and tire tracks really didn't give them much of a lead, but the Goddess of technology had a knack for finding a treasure when there was no X to mark the spot, and now she was going to find her princess if it was the last thing she did.

As the team began to sit down, a loud curse filled the area.

"Could I get some help here?" Morgan called out.

JJ hurried out to help the agent who had managed to get his crutches hung up. Taking the metal crutch, she helped him.

"Morgan," Hotch asked as he came into view. "What are you doing here? You are supposed to be on medical leave."

"Our team member is missing; I have to be here." He shifted his weight on the crutches.

"Your status is inactive. I cannot authorize you to be here."

"Hotch, Emily has been abducted by an UNSUB who is killing women…the hell I am not going to be here for her."

"This could cause trouble for you," Hotch warned. "Strauss could make it difficult for you and for me."

Morgan's feature's hardened. "I don't care. I got the call and I am here. She can ban me from the building, but I'm going to work this case. I've jogged down that path with Emily a dozen times. I may have seen something. I have to be here."

"I won't be able to let you out in the field, you understand that, right?" Hotch warned. "You will have to stay here with Garcia."

"Hotch…" Morgan protested.

"I don't have the time or man power to cart you around and pray that you don't get injured again. You stay here with Garcia, or you go home."

Morgan considered his options. "I might fare better in the field than being with Garcia. But if Reid could survive, I think I will too."

Hotch nodded. "Get in the office. Start thinking of anything that may have been out of place the last time you and Emily were in that area."

Morgan hobbled off with JJ hovering over him. Dave went up to Hotch. "You're going to let him be in on this case?"

"He might have something to help locate this guy."

Dave nodded slowly. "He and Em do go running in that area a lot." He shoved his hands in his coat pockets. "Strauss is not going to be happy that he is here."

"It's going to be hard enough trying to separate ourselves from making this personal, but being two men down in a crisis is not the way I want to approach it. I'll deal with Strauss when I have to."

Catching a familiar scent, Dave grimaced. "You might be dealing with it sooner than you think."

"Agent Hotchner," Erin Strauss remarked coldly, "I would like to see you in my office."

"Director, could it wait? I'm trying to get what's left of my team together so we can start gathering evidence and building a profile."

"I have the Chief of the DC police and lead detective in my office."

"This is a federal case now," Dave reminded her. "The local LEOs have no jurisdiction."

She leveled a cold gaze at the senior agent. "Perhaps, but they may have information that might be helpful."

"Dave, go in with the rest of the team and start building a profile. I'll be there as soon as I can."

Hotch followed the director to her office.  
*****

"Talk to us, Garcia," Morgan called out.

"When I started digging into the cases, I couldn't find anything that would link them together," she began, her face flashing up on the wide TV screen. "Nothing in the women's backgrounds really sent up any red flags that would have caught the attention of investigators."

"Eight women dead and nothing would create a red flag?" Morgan remarked.

"You have to understand that prostitutes getting murdered is not unheard of…especially in DC or the surrounding areas. The case of Desiree Reagan wouldn't have caused any police officer to blink. She may have worked in DC and been found in Patton Park, but because she had no residence on file, there was no way to say where she was abducted."

"Going across state lines would have been kidnapping which would have made it federal," Rossi commented. "But that was negated because she had no address."

"And being a prostitute…she wouldn't have had priority," JJ added.

"What about the other women?" Morgan asked.

"Well, if you subtract the prostitutes, that leaves four women whose careers and backgrounds were far from being similar. None of them ran with the same crowds…even their life-styles didn't match."

"No one reported them missing?"

"One worked from home so no one said anything. She wasn't married…." her voice trailed off.

"What is it, Baby Girl?"

"None of them were married. I don't know if that is significant."

"Our UNSUB knows to pick women that no one is going to miss," Rossi remarked dryly.

"What about…" JJ scanned her file, "Sara Matthews? Her friend came here and asked that we get involved."

"When was this?" Rossi asked. He felt the anger rising.

"About two weeks ago."

"Her body was found floating in Patton Creek. She had been missing for about three days. The coroner reported that she had been beaten and raped before being strangled," Garcia reported.

"What about Desiree?" Reid inquired.

"She was found fully clothed. No signs of rape or any other bruises…well, there were bruises, but the coroner figured they had been made about a week earlier."

"How was she killed?"

"Strangled."

"Uh oh," Garcia breathed.

"What is it, Garcia?" Rossi asked.

"A missing person's report was made about three weeks ago. Another prostitute who took Desiree under her wing and was trying to reform her, reported seeing Desiree getting into a car. Three days later Desiree's body showed up."

"Three days?" Morgan asked. "There is a three day window for the victims from abduction to being found?"

"What is he doing with them?" JJ asked. "He's raping the women who aren't prostitutes, while protecting the dignity of the women who are…"

"But he's strangling them all."

"There is something else here…" Reid remarked as his eyes scanned the file. "The prostitutes are clothed and found under brush or other spaces people wouldn't normally frequent…"

"Desiree was found in a brushy area by a couple of guys who threw a Frisbee in the wrong direction," Garcia supplied.

"But Sara and the other three women were found naked and in areas where they could be found easily."

"What are you saying Reid?" Morgan asked.

The young doctor shook his head. "This MO is unlike anything I have ever encountered."

"At least we know why the police didn't connect the dots," JJ muttered.

"There is something else…" Garcia piped up.

"Talk to us," Morgan encouraged.

"The further I dig, the more I am finding that there seems to be a cover up. I don't know if it's coincidental but…"

"But what?" Rossi bit out.

Garcia swallowed nervously. "Director Strauss had a meeting with the Chief of Police while we were gone on the last case."

"And?" Rossi prompted, his hands clenched unconsciously into fists.

"I don't know."

"I did talk to Strauss after I was approached by Connie Aragon after Sara Matthews went missing. The cases were not priority because there was no proof of anything to connect them."

"This case…" Rossi paused. "This is the same case you went to Strauss with?"

"Yes."

"She said it wasn't a priority." It wasn't a question.

"No other women have been reported missing since Connie Aragon was found. Nor have any bodies turned up. The police ran out of leads. It's not a priority…"

Rossi stood up and grabbed his folder. Before any of the team could speak up, he made his way to the door and yanked it open.

"What is going on?" Garcia asked fearfully.

"This is the one time you might not want to know, Baby Girl," Morgan replied and struggled to sit up.  
****

"We will be more than willing to accept any help from the police on this case," Erin Strauss remarked to the Chief.

Suddenly the door of her office was flung open.

"How dare you deem that the disappearance and murder of eight women was not a priority to bring the BAU in," Rossi shouted. "If Prentiss dies, I swear I will make your life a living hell!"


	15. Chapter 15

_**Em is about to meet her captor face to face. Bound, helpless, this may not be the best time to put her profiling to work, but there is a clue that will help identify the UNSUB. And yes, I did shove my 6 foot frame under the dashboard of a 77 Buick. Not my brightest moment, but I love being able to finally use it in a story!**_

_**I don't own Criminal Minds.**_

**Through The Fire**

Em slowly came to and tried to get her equilibrium balanced. Groaning inwardly, she leaned her head against the wall and closed her eyes. At least she thought her eyes were closed. The area was pitch black and she had long given up trying to figure out what time it was.

Sitting up, she tried to focus back to right before being kidnapped. She remembered leaving the brownstone at eight and by the time she hit the park, it was a few minutes past. After that, everything was a blur. She thought maybe he had hit her, but the nauseated feeling in her stomach made her reconsider. What ever he had used to subdue her was enough to throw her off her game.

Her stomach rumbled in hunger. She should have eaten something before going out, but then again, maybe it was for the best. The smell was definitely causing her stomach to roil. Feeling the bile rise, she took a couple of deep breaths thru her mouth.

She had never reacted like this on any crime scene, but then again, she had never been the center of a crime scene so it was possible her body was overreacting. Or it could be the concussion. What ever it was, she needed to get out of her binds.

"Theresa?" Em whispered, mindful of the scared woman's warning.

The room was silent.

"Theresa, can you talk to me? Are you hurt?" she asked, her voice a bit louder.

The deafening silence roared in Em's ears. Something was definitely wrong. It was in bits and pieces, but she remembered talking to the woman and then…nothing. It was for sure she had a concussion but how long had she been out? Minutes? Hours? And how could she have not heard him take Theresa?

Struggling harder, she began gnawing at the rope. She had to get out and find help. The team had to be looking for her by now. Maybe Dave was home and had seen that she wasn't there. If anyone could find her, it would be her friends. And Dave.

_' God have mercy on anyone who tries to take you away from me,' Dave's voice rang in her ears. 'I'll walk thru the fires of hell if it meant having you.'_

But what if his flight got cancelled again? What if he was still in LA waiting for the rain to let up? What if the team didn't know anything until she didn't show up to work tomorrow? Poor Mudgie. Who would let him out? She should have brought him.

_What if you had and the UNSUB had a gun? Mudgie would be dead and you would be too!_ She reasoned with herself. _Still…_

Tears pricked her eyes. Blinking them away, she tried to get herself together. "Come on Emily! This isn't the worst thing that's ever happened to you…okay, scratch that; it's definitely in the top five of the shittiest predicaments you've found yourself in. Like that time you shoved yourself under the dash board of a 77 Buick La Sabre when Brad came by to ask you out. And you got stuck…"

She tried the binds again. Nothing.

"I can get out of hand cuffs, but I can't get out of rope? I can't believe this!" She muttered to herself.

The sound of footsteps outside of her prison caused her to go on alert. Straightening up, she prepared herself for whatever came next. The lock turned and the door was thrown open. Heavy pounding on the steps made her realize that whoever took her was not a light weight…and had a limp.

The sudden burst of light in the confined space caused her to blink rapidly. Em tried to focus her eyes as the figure came forward.

"Well, look who's awake," the blurry face commented as he came closer to where she sat in the corner. "Did you have a good nap?"

Em swallowed hard. There was fear, but too many years of profiling had taught her how to mask her feelings. Right now it was who blinked first, and she would be damned if she lost to a scumbag serial killer.

"Where is Theresa?"

"Is that her name?"

Em's vision slowly cleared. He was overweight, blonde, and nicely dressed. She tried to profile him but came up empty. She was going to have to find his weakness if she was going to walk out alive. "What did you do with her?"

Chuckling, he squatted down. Leaning in, he brushed a lock of hair from Em's eyes. "You shouldn't be worried about Theresa; she's in a better place. Although she was a sweet piece of ass, and I am really going to miss hitting that…I like knowing I have a reserve waiting for me."

"In your dreams."

His face close to hers, he whispered, "Aren't you a feisty little bitch? Must mean you're a wild one in the sack. I like my women with a little kick." His hot, putrid breath burned Em's nostrils. Feeling the bile rise suddenly, she tried to quell it. "I can see you're jealous, but don't worry, you'll have your chance shortly."

"Don't you dare touch me," Em bit out. His breath was beyond nauseating and it was taking everything she had not to lose her dignity.

Running a hand down her face, he cupped her breast and gave it a hard squeeze. "I plan on doing more than touching you. And I know you'll like it because I haven't had any complaints. All the women say my dick is to die for."

Steeling herself against his touch, Em resisted the urge to fight. But being bound and helpless was not the way to approach and get the upper hand against an opponent who outweighed her by one hundred pounds.

_Go with it, Em,_ she told herself, _just go with it so he'll leave and you can work on getting out of this!_ Closing her eyes, she tried to ignore his wandering touch.

"Is there any chance you might want to give me a peek under those sweat pants of yours?" he asked smoothly…or tried to but his voice came off as sleazy. His tone repulsive. Em ignored him. Suddenly the sound of a phone ringing broke the moment. Pulling back, he struggled to stand up.

"Ah, looks like you've been saved by the bell, beautiful," he consoled. "But don't worry; we'll have plenty of time to get to know one another before I have to replace you."

Limping away, he turned off the light and left the area.

Making sure the coast was clear, Em's stomach refused to hold back a moment longer. Roiling violently, she barely had time to turn her head as what was in her stomach came to the surface.

Emptied of all contents, Em laid her head back and felt the tears roll down her cheeks. For the first time in a long time, she felt completely helpless.

"Please God," she prayed quietly, "let Dave and the team be looking for me." The tears came faster. "Please."


	16. Chapter 16

_**Dave has his showdown with Strauss. Meanwhile, the UNSUB is about to leave his calling card.**_

_**This chapter is dedicated to Michaela. Congratulations on the new arrival!**_

**Through The Fire**

"How dare you deem that the disappearance and murder of eight women was not a priority to bring the BAU in," Rossi shouted. "If Prentiss dies, I swear I will make your life a living hell!"

Caught off guard, Erin Strauss took a second to gather herself. "Agent Rossi, I'm in a meeting."

"Fuck your meeting!" Walking with purpose, Rossi strode over to her desk and slapped the folder down. "You kept this information buried…deliberately! And now, not only are eight women dead, but a Federal agent is missing."

Strauss looked at the detective. "If you'll excuse us for a moment."

"Yes, Director." The man went to stand up.

"Stay right there!" Rossi turned on him. "You have blood on your hands too." He turned to look at Strauss. "When did you know that we had a serial killer?"

Maintaining her cool, Strauss flipped thru the folder. "Where did you get this?" She picked up an article and scanned it.

"Agent Prentiss has been doing her own investigation and profiling."

"On her own?" Strauss replied in disbelief. "I specifically ordered you all not to get involved in this."

"She's a law enforcement officer. She has a duty to protect the citizens from serial killers…unlike some people."

"Let me see that," the detective suggested. Strauss handed over the folder. Opening it, the older man flipped the pages. "She has information we didn't. This is impressive work."

Rossi shot the man a look of contempt. He turned to look at the director. "You didn't answer my question: why the fuck did you take us off this case?"

"I didn't take you off this case; there was no case!" Strauss argued.

"Eight women turned up dead in various areas of DC, Arlington, and Georgetown and you have the balls to stand there and tell me that there was 'no case'? It's nice to know you have your priorities straight."

"Last year there were one hundred and forty seven homicide related crimes in DC alone; was I supposed to send the BAU to every one of them to solve? The team has to go to the ones where they can make the biggest difference."

"This we could have solved in our sleep."

"That is your arrogance talking. Your priority was a serial arsonist in Seattle. I went over these cases and there was nothing that stood out to link them. No set MO, no link between the victims, and all were found in various dump sites," Strauss counted off on her finger.

"Three were found in Patton Park! One was in Patton Creek! Wasn't that enough to make your feelers go up?" Rossi demanded.

"Keep your voice down," she snapped. "Hundreds of cases come over my desk every week demanding our attention. Agent Jareau does the best that she can to filter them, and then I do the best I can to make sure that each one is a priority."

"Well, Erin, it seems this time your best wasn't good enough," Rossi snapped. The air snapped with electricity as the two senior agents glared at one another. Uncomfortable being stuck in the middle, the detective stood up and cleared his throat.

"I…need to excuse myself for a moment; I need a glass of water." Quickly he departed the room closing the door behind him.

Lowering her gaze, Strauss flicked a glance at her desk, then back at Rossi. "What is this really about?"

"It's about you deciding that because you're the director of the BAU that you can pick and choose whose life is most important."

"They were prostitutes, Dave."

"Not all of them. But even if they were, does that make their lives any less important than mine or yours?" Rossi countered.

She shook her head and sat down. "It's not that… If we ran from case to case because we thought there might be a serial killer…we would need a bigger team with more funding. Right now with budget cuts, that's not possible."

"Why is that always the excuse? Fucking budget cuts at the police department, now in the FBI. And what does that get us? More crime, more victims, and less manpower to deal with it."

Strauss raised an eyebrow. "Do you think my job is a cake walk? Do you think I get up every morning and try to find new ways to fuck with you?"

"I wouldn't be surprised," Rossi replied dryly.

"Get over yourself. This job is hard enough without having to deal with your bullshit."

"I'm not the one with a vendetta against Hotch or the team," he threw back at her. "I'm not the one walking around with a chip on my shoulder because I broke thru some fucking glass ceiling. You are no different than the rest of us, Erin."

"My job comes with responsibilities - if you haven't forgotten - and everyday it's a new game out there; I have to decide which one to play but when I do, I still do what I have to, to protect my agents. "

"Tell that to Emily Prentiss. Unless it's already too late!" Rossi thundered.

A strained silence hung in the air as they sized each other up for the next attack.

"They weren't going to call us in," Strauss commented in a low voice.

"What?"

"They weren't going to call us in," she repeated. "I thought maybe there might be something to get the local LEOs to recognize a potential serial killer could be out there, but they declined the offer."

"They were wrong and you were wrong."

"I know that, but you know that we can't just get involved because of what might be. Prostitutes go missing every day. Sometimes they turn up in other cities…"

"Or they turn up dead because no one cares," Rossi finished.

Strauss let out a heavy sigh. "That's unfair, David. I wish I had tried harder to get us involved."

Shoving his hands in his coat pockets, he felt the fight go out of him. "Well, you got your wish." He started to walk away. "Now it's federal."

"David. What is going on between you and Agent Prentiss?"

He turned to look at her. "Why do you want to know?"

"I am the director of the BAU and I need to know if there is any impropriety occurring between my agents."

Rossi raised his eyebrow. "Afraid that I might be violating the FBI Fraternization Regs?"

"It wouldn't be the first time."

"I'm well aware of the regulations, Erin; hell, a good portion of them are the result of my actions."

"I won't allow you to get personally involved in this case and jeopardize the team's lives because you want to be a cowboy."

Rossi gave her a thoughtful look as he considered her words. "My team has always come first. As for what I do in my spare time…that is none of your business. What you should be concerned about are the lives of the women you put in jeopardy. When we get Agent Prentiss back, you are going to owe her a huge apology." He yanked open the door.

"I just hope you remember how to get down on your knees and grovel," he spat and slammed the door behind him.

Strauss went to speak, but the words wouldn't come. Leaning back against the chair, she took in a deep breath. Blinking quickly, she pressed her index fingers to the corner of her eyes and tried to hold the tears back.  
****

Headlights illuminated the dark area as the sound of tires crunched along the gravel path. The high squeak of brakes pierced the air as a car came to a stop. The sound of a door opening then closing broke the silence.

A figure moved to the trunk and released the lid. The interior light illuminated the figure inside. Reaching down, he touched the cold cheek. She had put up such a fight when he finally took her that he almost felt ashamed that he had to kill her. He should have kept her for a couple of more days just to mess with her. There were still so many positions he had wanted to try.

The other women before her had gone relatively quickly….at least the ones he had marked as his. He hated whores, but he would never fuck one. He didn't want to be contaminated by their germs and disease. He would be damned if he slept with all of their other lovers. He loved to keep them and torture them and then hear them begged for mercy. A quick strangulation always ended their pitiful cries.

He liked them better when they weren't whores…well, all women were whores in his book - it came down to how they dressed. There was no such thing as a virgin in this day and age. Damn fucking TV and movies had corrupted society. Well, he was going to do what he could to make a difference.

Lifting the naked lifeless woman out of the trunk, he threw her over his shoulder and looked around to see if they were alone. The coast was clear.

Laying her down in the leaves, he looked at her face so serene in death. She was the best one yet. He still didn't understand how even bound and gagged she had gotten loose enough to scream and fight. He was alright with it…until she bit him. No matter how good she was, she had crossed the line. So, he got rid of her. One hard twist of his hands and it was over.

But now she was laying there - spread eagle - just inviting him for one last taste. She couldn't hurt him and he was getting excited…

Pulling up the fly on his jeans, he kneeled down beside the woman. He brushed her black hair back from her face.

"Now that was a piece of ass," he quipped. Standing up, he walked back to the car. Starting the engine, he put it in gear and drove off into the night. 


	17. Chapter 17

**Hotch talks with Dave about what is happening and what transpired with Strauss. And Garcia receives some news over her computer that could change the course of the investigation.**

**Through The Fire**

Hotch peeked thru the blinds of Dave's office and sighed. It had been a long time since he had seen his friend work all night without going home. And even longer since said man had slept at his desk.

He had called it a night at about nine after exhausting every possible lead. He could have kept going and burned the midnight oil, but following dead ends made as much sense as beating the dead horse. Forensics and CID had the evidence and put an emergency rush on tire tracks and DNA, but until something more concrete came in - or a new lead - they had to stand fast.

He had gotten home in time to read Jack a story and tuck him in. Holding his little boy in his arms had made him realize all the parents out there who couldn't hold their child anymore. Or the child who could no longer hold their parent and his heart had broken.

If he had to move heaven and earth, he was going to get justice for all the victims.

But something was still eating at the back of his mind even after leaving Strauss's office more than twelve hours later. He had heard her side of the story and why the team hadn't been brought in - and though the logical part of him agreed that there was nothing anyone could have done to prevent Emily's abduction - the loyal friend wanted answers.

The hardest phone call he ever had to make was to Emily's parents. He had done his best to assure them that every resource known to the FBI was working around the clock to find the UNSUB. Not five minutes later his phone rang again. Expecting to hear word from CID, he was only half paying attention when a voice came over the line to say: "Please hold while I connect you to the Oval Office."

Hotch had listened as the President of the United States gave his condolences and asked if there was anything he could do. He also went on to say that both Ambassadors would be arriving in on Air Force 2 later tomorrow.

Speechless, Hotch had thanked the President and then hung up the phone. It had been a cordial conversation and probably would have been better received by Dave or Strauss, but he could understand that Emily's parents regarded him as the source of all information regarding their only daughter. They didn't need political ass kissing and red tape bullshit; they needed answers fast.

He had filled the director in. When she offered to meet the plane at Andrews, he had encouraged her to go. She needed to get out of the office for a while. They all did. So he sent the team home and they would all start fresh in the morning.

He had to be the first one in- that's who he was: the example to be set but not necessarily followed. And it was obvious by the looks of Dave, he was still following his own drummer. Gently, he knocked on the door and opened it.

Startled by the sound, Dave jumped up from his position and looked around.

"Hotch," he greeted, his throat thick with sleep and exhaustion.

"Dave." Hotch took in the wrinkled dress shirt, rumpled hair, and bloodshot eyes. "I thought I told you to go home last night."

"I got side-tracked." Sitting down, he ran a hand over his eyes to remove the grit.

Hotch looked at the disorganized desk. "I can tell. So what time did you fall asleep?"

"I don't know…two…maybe sooner, maybe later. I forget."

Setting the cup down on the desk, Hotch took a seat across from his friend. "Did you find anything?"

"Nothing. Forensics has no leads. Either this guy is good…"

"Or he's never been tagged for CODIS," Hotch finished. "It's difficult to believe that he just started this overnight."

"Sometimes they do. Something just snaps and they need to destroy everything."

"We need to find his trigger. What set him off that he would need to do this?"

Dave let out his breath and shook his head in defeat. "Who knows what that could be? Prostitutes strangled and dumped in the open. Non prostitutes are defiled and left naked in hidden areas. It doesn't make sense. And now he's taken a woman who could have easily defended herself. It doesn't make sense."

Hotch looked down at his shoes for a moment then at his friend. "What happened in Strauss's office yesterday?"

"Nothing. We had a talk."

"She was shaken pretty bad."

"I let her know that sometimes what she thinks is the best may not be the wisest."

"She's going to meet Emily's parents today. They are flying in from Jordan."

"That's nice."

"May I ask what is happening between you and Emily?"

"Are you inquiring about my personal life?" Dave countered.

"I am because whatever is happening involves my agents and it could affect the team."

"Are you asking as a team leader or as a concerned friend?" Dave sipped the hot liquid.

"Does it matter?"

Leaning back in the chair, Dave leveled a gaze at his friend. "I asked her to marry me."

Hotch didn't break the stare. "When?"

"Before we went to Seattle."

"When were you going to tell me?"

Dave thought about his question. "I don't know. She just acknowledged that we were in a relationship."

Hotch slapped his thigh loudly. "Dammit Dave! You promised!"

"No I didn't. I said that things had changed from when I was here twenty five years ago. I learned from my mistakes."

"Obviously not well enough. You're still at it."

"The only woman I have slept with since I came back from retirement is Emily. No one else."

Hotch took a deep breath as he tried to rein in his anger. "When did this start?"

"Eight months ago. After that bad case in Sun Valley. We went out for a drink…and…"

"One thing led to another," Hotch finished.

"No. We spent the night talking about books and music and Italian recipes," Dave corrected. "Things just progressed from there."

"Dave…"

"I'm not making any apologies for my actions."

Hotch considered Dave's remark. There was no way he would get anything more than that. "May I ask what happened that would cause her to put herself in harm's way?"

"I have begged her not to go running. At least when she…" Dave paused. "Morgan was there to protect her…until he got hurt. I left Mudgie with her, thinking if she decided to go running she had protection. I can't tell you why she ran alone." He got up and paced the floor. "I should have tried harder to get back to DC."

"This wasn't your fault Dave. Who is to say that had she taken Mudgie the UNSUB wouldn't have gotten her? Maybe he was armed and he would have shot your dog."

"No matter how I look at this, I feel…I should have done something. Called her. Made myself more clear."

"No offense, but I couldn't see that happening without the two of you butting heads."

Dave blinked by tears. "It's been twenty four hours…give or take. Our window is closing. We need to work a profile."

"Dave…"

"Let's do this. Somewhere he's screwed up; we just have to find it."

"Not until you get freshened up and get something to eat. Go change and I'll meet you at the elevator in twenty."

"Aaron, I'm not going to quit and I'm not going to give up until Emily is back with us."

Hotch stood up and patted his friend on the shoulder. "I know. I'm still not condoning what you two have done, but we'll be talking about this when she gets back. Now go get ready." Opening the door, he closed it behind him and tried to catch his breath.  
****

Setting her bags down on the floor, Garcia booted up her system. While she waited, she glanced at the pictures on her desk. Her eyes rested on Emily's photo. Laughing, smiling over something long forgotten, Garcia had snapped the picture and framed it. Emily was her sister…her family.

"Oh, Angel," Garcia cooed sadly, "who would want to hurt you?" The system beeped that it was ready. Garcia blinked back her tears. "I'm going to find the creep who did this to you and those women and when I do…" A flashing emergency sign came up on screen. "Oh no! Oh no!"

Her fingers flew wildly as she forgot to breathe. _This isn't happening, _she screamed inwardly. _This isn't happening; it isn't real._

But as the information filled her monitor, she couldn't deny it. Printing up the police report, she ran from the office toward Hotch's office.

She tried to catch her breath as she knocked on the door.

"Yes, Garcia?" Hotch inquired.

"Boss? It just came over the line; they found another woman." She handed over the paper. "Preliminary report states that she was beaten, bound, and her neck was broken."

Hotch scanned the sheet. His heart sank. "Is this correct?"

Garcia swallowed hard. "Black shoulder length hair and brown eyes."


	18. Chapter 18

_Hotch has received the news and now it's time to break it to Dave and the team._

_Special shout out to Michaela for pointing me in the right direction!_

**Through The Fire**

Hotch looked at the paper in his hand for the hundredth time. Feeling the air being sucked out of the room, he tried to maintain his usual stoic composure.

"Is this correct?" he asked, his stare bore into Garcia.

Her lip trembled as she nodded. "Y-yes."

"Why weren't we notified?"

"The call just came in five minutes ago. I set up alerts thru the emergency dispatch system too let me know if any calls came thru. She was found in McLean…or just outside on the side of the road."

Hotch furiously punched the numbers on his phone. "Detective Peters? Aaron Hotchner." He listened patiently. "Don't move the body. We will be there shortly." He hung up the receiver. "Garcia, I need you to call in the others and tell them to meet me and Dave at the dump site. Send the coordinates to their phones."

"Hotch…" Garcia tried to keep the fear out of her voice. "You don't think it's…Emily, do you?"

"I don't know. Detective Peters said the body had been beaten beyond all recognition. I am going to need you to send DNA and dental charts to the coroner. ASAP!" He grabbed his coat. "Don't tell the team anything other than that a body was found. Is that understood?"

Blinking back the tears, she nodded. She needed to find Kevin. "Boss, may I request that Kevin Lynch come down to help me?"

"Tell them that it's an emergency and if they have a problem with it, they can talk to Director Strauss. Now go," he ordered. Quickly, and with purpose, Garcia literally ran from Hotch's office to her lair.

Pulling on his thick overcoat, Hotch buttoned it and grabbed his scarf. It was going to be cold out there and he needed to be on his game. Assuring that he had his keys and phone, he walked over to Dave's office and knocked.

"Come in Hotch." Dave continued to scan the papers and wasn't paying attention to anything else.

"Dave, we got another."

Standing up, Dave grabbed for his coat and phone. "Where? Are they sure it's this UNSUB? I wasn't aware that another woman had been reported missing."

"Dave… Detective Peters called. The body was found outside McLean. And it doesn't look good. The victim is a young woman in her late twenties to early thirties with shoulder length black hair and brown eyes." Hotch watched as his friend went white.

"Black hair? They don't think it's Emily?" Dave's words were rushed as he went for the door. Hotch stopped him.

"_I_ don't think it's Emily. Unfortunately, the body was found naked on the side of the road. They don't know how long she had been there, though the preliminary report says about twelve hours."

"They have Emily's pictures to compare with!"

"Dave, this woman was beaten beyond all recognition. Plus there were some wild animals in the area…" Hotch tried to keep his thoughts from going negative.

"Where is Garcia? Have her get on the line and send over dental records! They can fingerprint the body. We have to know!"

"Dave, calm down! I already have Garcia on this. She and Kevin Lynch are working with every database to find out what is going on."

Dave's face hardened with anger but there was fear in his eyes too. "It's not Emily."

"I know." Hotch had been in Dave's shoes, but that wasn't making the news any easier to deliver. Unlike Haley, Emily was attached to every member of the team in one way or another.

"I feel it in my gut, Hotch. Something happened and somewhere along the way we missed something but that body is not Emily's."

Hotch nodded. "But we also have to look at this realistically. You know as well as I do that the odds are not in any of our favour."

"Her parents are flying in," Dave reminded in a tight voice. "This is not how I wanted to greet them."

"Dave, we will cross that bridge when we get to it." He let go of Dave's wrist. "Let's get out of here."

"The team…?"

"They are meeting us there. I told Garcia not to tell them anything. We have to go into this fresh and not controlled by emotion."

"When I get my hands on this jack off, I'm going to kill him," Dave stated in a tone deadlier than anything Hotch had ever heard come out of his friend's mouth.

Following down the stairs to the elevator, Hotch only nodded. What could he say since he had once been on the same side of anger Dave was flirting with? As the doors closed, Hotch prayed for the news to have a positive outcome. Or as close to positive as possible.  
*****

Emily tried to move her head but her neck muscles screamed in protest. She had never sat in one position for so long in such low temperatures. Her back hurt from being pressed against the cold concrete wall and the Charley Horse in her thigh was acting up.

Her stomach rumbled in protest. She was still nauseous but her body craved energy and relief. Her bladder was screaming and she was past the point of distracting herself with psychology terms.

She had no idea how long she had been downstairs, but she knew that the clock had started on her fate more than a while back. Squinting hard, through swollen eye lids, she wondered if that was light she saw trying to make its way thru the black streaks on the window.

It was morning. So it had to be Monday. The team was surely looking for her but she was realistic. They had nothing. They knew nothing. And as great as they were being able to find the proverbial needle in the haystack, this one might be too much for even the best profiler to solve.

"Snap out of it Em," she chastised herself. "Everyone at the FBI is going to be on high alert and moving heaven and earth; even Strauss…oh shit!" she groaned and leaned her head back against the wall. There was no way her parents hadn't been notified.

Where were they again? Yemen? Saudi Arabia? "That's it," she whispered, "Jordan."

Why oh why couldn't they have taken that trip up to Alaska to go whale watching with Senator Whatshisname so they couldn't be anywhere near a phone? Once again she had managed to ruin their plans. There was no way they were going to forgive her for this.

"Damn it Emily! Snap the hell out it! It's just your insecurity and fear talking. You can't give in," she reprimanded herself. "That's what he wants; you to give into fear and then he takes over. You've gone up against bigger and better than him and you survived."

She didn't mean to give into her fear - it was a normal reaction - but now was not the time for normal.

"Besides, if you die, Dave and Hotch will kick your ass. And that will be nothing compared to what Garcia will do to your corpse." The image of being dressed by Penelope Garcia for her viewing was enough to snap out of her funk.

"If he kept the women for three days, he must have let them go to the bathroom."

"Only because I hate fucking filthy women," replied a deep voice as the door slammed open and the bright light went on. The bare 100 watt bulb nearly blinded Emily as she turned her head away from the harsh light.

Cowering in the corner, Emily tried to throw her wrists up to cover her eyes.

"What are you doing that for?" he demanded. "I want to see you."

Emily lowered her arms. "I need to go to the bathroom," she stated in a low voice.

"What?" The man put his face in front of hers. As his breath enveloped her, she fought the urge to vomit before realizing that she had nothing left. Well, at least she was no longer hungry.

"What?" Emily repeated in confusion.

"You have to go to the bathroom…what?" he demanded.

Meeting his eyes, she held his look for a moment before looking down. Licking her lips, she ducked her head. He grinned. He was breaking her down. But in reality, Emily was sizing up her opponent for weakness.

"Please."

"That's better. I'm going to teach you some manners if it kills you." Standing up, he pulled on her wrists, yanking her to her feet. Unprepared for standing after being in one position for so long, Emily had no feeling in her legs. Immediately she went down, the side of her face scraped along the cinder block wall.

"Stupid bitch!" Yanking her up again, he thrust her forward. "No wonder I caught you; you're a fucking klutz. Come on."

"Could you untie my feet? Please?" Emily whispered. Her cheek was on fire and she could feel the blood trickle down.

He looked at her in disbelief. "Just this once." Kneeling, he untied the rope binding her ankles. "Come on!" he ordered.

Trembling, Emily concentrated on putting one leg in front of the other. Once she relieved her bladder, and the stars stopped dancing in her eyes from the concussion she just gave herself, she was going to plan her escape.

But first things first.


	19. Chapter 19

_Em has a secret that will help Hotch and Dave identify whether it's her or not. _

_This chapter was co-authored with Michaela123. Thanks for supplying the identifying mark._

_On a side note, if anyone thinks they know what the date means, send me a PM and I'll give you a shout out in the next chapter_

**Through The Fire**

The police and investigators stood around the area that was currently roped off with yellow police tape while a couple of patrolmen guarded the barricades to reroute the traffic. A small crowd had formed about a hundred feet from where the body had been found. It was all the police could do to keep the press back.

As the FBI SUV pulled up and stopped, Detective Peters walked over to greet the agents.

"Agent Hotchner. Rossi." He shook their hands. "I didn't move anything, but we are having a helluva time keeping the press at bay. Eight murders go unnoticed and now all of a sudden they come out of the wood work."

"They caught the scent of blood," Rossi remarked wryly as he scanned the area.

"Where did they find the body?" Hotch asked as he pulled out the latex gloves from his coat pocket.

Peters pointed toward the heavy brush covered area. "Behind that bush." The trio started walking toward the crime scene. Peters held the yellow tape up to allow Hotch and Rossi to step under. "She wouldn't have been found except that a neighbour walking his dog managed to accidentally stumble across her."

Stepping behind the bush, he watched as the two agents knelt down and pulled back the tarp. Casting a glance at one another, the pair kept their expressions neutral.

"Nice hidden area. She was found like this?" Rossi asked.

Peters nodded. "Coroner suspects she's been dead for twenty four hours - at least, but she's been here for twelve. The below freezing temps last night - plus the animals… There may have been post mortem sexual assault, too." Peters shoved his hands in his coat pockets. "They won't know until they get her back to the morgue. So, you think she's your missing agent?"

Hotch sighed. He didn't believe in coincidence but lately nothing else seemed to make sense. "I had Agent Prentiss's dental records forwarded to the coroner. We'll know for sure by the end of the day." Standing up, he walked away from the crime scene. Rossi followed close behind.

"We can't wait for the coroner," Rossi muttered under his breath.

"Her face is nearly gone, Dave, and there's been other damage."

Shifting his eyes toward the team to the tarp, Rossi lowered his voice. "I know how to identify if it's Em or not." Hotch raised his eyebrow. "There is a tiny heart with the numbers: 9-13-89 on her hip."

"That's not in her medical file."

"I know. She hadn't planned on ever divulging it to anyone, but I made her open up about it."

"Do I want to know?" Hotch returned evenly.

"Even if you asked, I'm not at liberty to tell you. Suffice to say that's going to be the fastest and most reliable way to find out what we need to know…unless you want to wait for the coroner." Rossi held Hotch's stare.

Letting out his breath, Hotch gave in. "Detective Peters," he called out, "we need to see the body again." Walking over, Hotch lifted the tarp again. Twice he scanned the corpse. "Check to see if there is a tattoo on the other side," he directed. Detective Peters looked, then shook his head. Hotch gave a quick look toward Rossi.

JJ came running over to where Rossi was standing. "What's wrong? What's happening?" she asked.

"It's not Emily," Rossi replied.

"What?" she asked, her face full of fear.

"A body was found and they thought it might be Emily, but it isn't."

"How do you know?"

"Trust me; it's not her."

Hotch came over to the pair as Morgan and Reid walked up. "It's not Emily," he announced to the team.

"Who is it?" Morgan asked as his cop eye scanned the area for anything that seemed to be out of place.

"We don't know. She was pretty badly beaten and the wildlife had their turn before she was discovered."

"Have there been any missing person reports filed?" Morgan inquired and walked toward the brush.

JJ pulled out her phone. "I'll call Garcia." Quickly she dialed.

"Speak o' one who wants to acquire knowledge," Garcia greeted.

"Hey PG, we're at the scene."

"Is it…?" Garcia whispered as her heart stopped.

"No. No it isn't."

"Thank you! What can I do to help?"

"I need you to search the databases and see if there's been any missing person reports filed within the past three days," JJ answered.

Quick as lightning, Garcia's fingers flew over her keyboard. "So far, I don't see anything in the DC area."

"Can you narrow it down to a female between the ages of 25-35, about 5'7", with black hair and brown eyes?" JJ asked as the team moved away to search the area.

"It's going to take a few minutes to search the surrounding databases."

"We'll be here." JJ hit end and moved over to where Hotch stood. "Garcia is checking the databases. Is that her?" she nodded toward the blue tarp.

"Yes."

"Rossi identified her?"

"Yes."

"Was she wearing her ring?" JJ wondered aloud.

"No. It seems Emily has an undocumented tattoo on her hip." Hotch watched as Morgan and Reid knelt down and lifted the tarp. "Did you know?"

"Yes. Not about the tattoo, but I know about her and Rossi."

"It's nice to know that I'm being kept on top of things," Hotch groused never taking his eyes off his team.

"Em is one for keeping secrets, you know that. And besides, you have had a few yourself."

"This one affects the team."

"Until now it hasn't."

"What do I tell Strauss when she inquires?"

"Nothing except that the unidentified woman isn't Emily."

"Hey, Hotch!" Morgan called out. "Look at this!"

Hotch and JJ hurried over as Rossi and Detective Peters did the same. "What is it?" Hotch asked.

Morgan showed the cigarette butt he found under the bush. "Didn't we find cigarette butts behind the tree where Emily was abducted?"

"Yes."

Detective Peters snapped his fingers. "Bag that," he ordered. A forensics person came over and collected the evidence. "Get that down to the lab. I want it crossed with what we found on Sunday. You think this is our guy?"

"The M.O. is the same," Rossi observed. "Though he has changed his dump site."

"He had to," Reid supplied, "we have Patton Park and the surrounding area staked out."

"But he drove all the way out here to McLean?" Peters asked in disbelief.

Rossi shrugged. "He's trying to throw us off the case."

"That or it's a copy cat," Morgan added.

"You mean there could be another killer out in the area?" Peters sputtered.

"It happens, but I'm sure this is our UNSUB," Hotch remarked.

"Look at her wrists," Reid pointed out. "See where the skin is chafed? She was bound for a while to make bruises like that. I'm thinking she had her arms extended over her head."

Peters moved in for a closer look. "Those aren't rope burns."

"She was shackled. See how her nails are ripped off?" Reid held up the woman's limp hand. "She probably clawed at the chain trying to free herself."

"The coroner suspects that there was post-mortem sexual abuse," Peters supplied.

"He's done it before," Morgan replied. He was interrupted by JJ's phone ringing.

"I'm putting you on speaker, so behave," JJ warned.

"Okay, guys, I checked the Arlington, Quantico, and surrounding area databases for missing persons and found a report filed for a Theresa English aka Terry Mounds aka Dorothy Gail aka Theresa Kleen from Dale City. She supposedly went missing after being picked up by a client on Wednesday night."

"When was the report filed?" Hotch asked.

"Saturday. I guess her mother called her cell phone a few times and when she couldn't get in touch with her, called the police."

"And we're only finding out about this now?" Rossi broke in.

"She's gone missing before," Garcia supplied. "Plus her mother lives in Albany so she couldn't just walk into the police station and make the report."

"Some one is going to have to notify her mother so we can get dental records to confirm."

"I'll get my men on it," Peters stated.

"What about the people she hangs with?" Hotch asked.

"I think she was a free-lancer from what I can see; no pimp bailed her out on the last three arrests," Garcia commented.

"I need you to find out all you can about our victims and get back with me," Hotch ordered briskly.

"I'm on it, Boss. Garcia out."

Hotch turned toward the team. "JJ, I want you and Reid to visit with the friends and family of the women who were not prostitutes and find out what their routines were and if they ever mentioned being followed. Rossi and Morgan - go to Dale City and see what you can find out about Theresa English. Detective Peters, I want to see the missing person's report on Desiree Reagan and talk with the woman who filed it. Maybe she saw something that night."

"Forensics is checking on the tire marks they found," Peters noted.

"See if they can put a rush on it. As soon as we get the M.E.'s report, I want to start putting a profile together."

"The media is going to be all over this."

"We can hold them off for a while, but until we do a profile, they are going to have to wait," Hotch countered. "At least until Agent Prentiss's parents get in." He looked at the team. "Let's go and meet back at the BAU at four. Dave, you and Morgan take the SUV; I'll drive Morgan's car in."

The team broke up and headed toward their assignments. Meanwhile, the body of the victim was loaded onto a stretcher and placed in the back of the coroner's vehicle. Alone.


	20. Chapter 20

_Emily's parents have arrived and want some answers. Meanwhile, the team is beginning to build a profile._

**Through The Fire**

Erin Strauss blew against her fingers to warm them up as she watched the plane taxi to a stop. She had arrived a couple hours earlier and tried to figure out what she was going to say to the Ambassadors Prentiss. Even though they had been good friends for years, there was no easy way to update them with the latest news. At least the body the police found was not one of her agents. But that didn't help her stress level.

Rubbing her hands together, she walked forward as the steps were lowered. Standing at the landing, she waited as the wind began to pick up. Finally, the Ambassadors appeared. Elizabeth walked down first.

"Erin," she greeted.

"Elizabeth. I have the car waiting. Do you have any luggage? You must be exhausted?" Erin asked politely.

"Alan is bringing it down. Have you heard anything?" Elizabeth inquired, her voice containing genuine concern.

"Let's get to the car and I will fill you both in." Putting an arm around the Ambassador's shoulders, Erin led her to the waiting car. Once inside, they waited until the luggage was stowed in the trunk. Getting inside, Alan closed the door.

"I had Agent Jareau reserve you two a suite at the Washington Hilton," Erin offered.

"We would like to go the FBI Headquarters and get updated if you don't mind," Alan requested.

"Driver? Please take us to the Hoover Building, thank you," Erin ordered.

"What is the news on Emily?" Elizabeth asked.

Erin held her stare. "I won't lie; this morning a body was found. Initially they thought it might be Emily, but I just received word that the dental records don't match."

"Thank God," Elizabeth breathed.

"How did this happen?" Alan demanded and continued without giving Erin a chance to answer. "How did my daughter, who is a trained FBI agent and highly trained in self defense, become the victim of a serial killer?"

"Because up until Emily was abducted, there was no solid evidence that there was a serial killer on the loose," Erin admitted reluctantly.

"I read up on the news during the flight over; there were eight women discovered in the area near where my daughter resides," Elizabeth countered. "How did the police miss that?"

"There are many factors to what might have transpired that would have let…"

"Stop with the political sidestepping bullshit, Erin, and tell me the truth!" Alan demanded, his voice loud.

"I was approached by Agent Jareau a couple of weeks ago to launch an investigation but when I inquired with the DC police to offer assistance, we were turned down. It was not a federal case. As you may know, unless we are brought in, our hands are pretty much tied."

"Eight murders and no one was interested?" Alan barked. "What the hell kind of police department is residing in DC?"

"They have been hit hard by budget cuts," Erin defended. "We all have been."

"Our daughter's life is at stake and the only answer you can offer me is budget cuts?"

"Alan. Calm down," Elizabeth admonished. "This is not Erin's fault. I haven't talked to Emily in a few months with the traveling we have been doing and the unrest in the Middle East. I know that she has been busy with work."

"The two teams have been quite busy," Erin admitted.

"Has she been seeing anyone?" Elizabeth asked.

Erin paused. She had never lied to her friends before, but this was not the time to divulge her agent's personal life. "I try to keep out of my agents' lives when they are off the clock."

Elizabeth thought over the answer. "I understand."

Erin covered the woman's hand with her own. "Let's go find out what the team knows and then I'll take you to dinner."

Elizabeth closed her eyes for a long moment. "Okay." She opened her eyes. The tears shone brightly. Unable to find the right words, Erin remained silent as the car drove toward the Hoover Building.  
****

The small crowd gathered in the bullpen as introductions were made.

"Agent Hotchner, we meet again," Elizabeth greeted with an air of superiority.

"Ambassador Prentiss," Hotch returned and shook her hand.

"Elizabeth," she corrected.

Hotch turned toward Emily's father. "Ambassador Prentiss. I take that you had a good flight over?"

"It's Alan, and yes we did." He shook Hotch's hand firmly.

Hotch looked around. "You remember Agents Jareau, Morgan, and Reid?"

"Yes, I do. Agent Jareau, how are you? I heard you had a baby."

"A son. He's two now."

Elizabeth nodded. "I'm sure he's beautiful." Her eye caught the empty chair at the table. "Is Agent Gideon going to be joining us?"

The agents looked at one another in surprise. Hotch spoke up first. "Agent Gideon is no longer with the team. He…retired a couple of years back."

Elizabeth's eyebrow rose. "Oh?"

A figure rushed into the area.

"Garcia just got the coroner's preliminary report," Rossi offered as he handed the file to Hotch. Pulling up short as he noticed the two strangers, he turned toward them then back to Hotch.

"David Rossi, I would like you to meet Ambassador Elizabeth…"

"Prentiss," Rossi finished. "Yes, we met a few years back at the White House Christmas Ball."

"David, I didn't know you were back with the FBI," Alan greeted warmly.

"I came back a couple of years ago."

"Decided to take a break from writing?"

"I needed to get some fresh ideas."

"If we have that cleared up," Hotch interrupted, "I would like to get started on building a profile. Agent Jareau, if you would escort the Ambassadors to my office, I will be up there in a few minutes."

JJ made a sweep with her arm. "If you'll follow me. I can get you some coffee."

"That would be wonderful. Thank you," Elizabeth returned.

Waiting for Emily's parents to leave, Hotch led the team to the briefing room. Taking a seat, he looked at his computer folder. "The coroner says that the victim was starved, restrained and beaten before her neck was broken. She was also sexually assaulted and sodomized before our UNSUB killed her," he read the report out loud.

"Most of the bruises were made post mortem," Reid observed. "He has never beaten a victim before - at least not this badly," he corrected.

"This was definitely over kill," Morgan finished. "I have seen some bad murders, but this one was over the top. Usually this kind of violence is reserved for victims who know their assailants."

Rossi scrolled down. "The coroner states that there was flesh and blood found in her mouth."

"Do you think she bit him?" Reid asked.

"If he was doing to her what I think he was, I wouldn't blame her," Morgan replied.

"That would definitely give him incentive to unleash on her," Rossi remarked dryly. "They also found semen on her."

"If he assaulted her, and she was a prostitute, he has definitely changed his M.O.," Reid commented. "That is very unusual."

"Why would he do something like that?" Morgan asked as he scanned the folder again. "He's never beaten a victim _after_ death and he's certainly _never_ snapped the neck of a victim either."

"Something inside of him snapped, and if he continues the way he's been going, he'll be taking another woman within the next forty-eight hours. Dave, Morgan, what did you find out?" Hotch asked.

Morgan shrugged. "No one on the streets is talking. Word has gone out that they are targets so they aren't talking to anyone. The older ladies stated that Theresa was a newbie and usually got into any car regardless. They are lying low. The younger ones say they can't stop because some asshole is killing woman because they have bills to pay."

"That is going to make our job more difficult. Reid?"

"No one could remember anything suspicious. Whoever he is, he waits until they are alone before making a move."

"We are going to have to have a press conference. The press has gotten wind and they won't let up. I'm going to get together with Detective Peters first thing tomorrow." Hotch stood up. "I want all of you to go home and be back here by seven am." He cast a wary glance at Rossi. "No sleeping in the office."

"Hotch…"

"You have been on your feet for two days straight. There is nothing you can do here. Tomorrow we start fresh. That's an order."

Morgan and Reid stood up and left.

"Are you going to tell Emily's parents?" Hotch inquired.

"Of course," Dave remarked

"What do think they'll say to the news?"

Rossi stood up and gave his friend a half smile. "Depends. If you found out your only daughter was engaged to David Rossi, how would you respond?"

Hotch considered the question. "True. Buy you dinner?"

"Sounds good. Hotch…"

"The team has worked miracles before - even you admitted to it. Let's get out of here." Hotch turned out the light and closed the door behind them.


	21. Chapter 21

_Em's first test at the hands of her captor will decide her immediate fate. Will she pass or fail?_

_A special shout out to rjwritergirl. You got the tattoo right. Major kudos to you!_

* * *

**Through The Fire**

Emily was starving and her head hurt. She knew that the first day had past and time was running out. Even though her captor had not done anything extreme toward her, she knew her life was still in danger. She had to get out. She had to get help.

In the darkness, she tried to make out anything - a sound or piece of evidence to help her identify where she was to help with escaping. There was the stairs and door to the main room. Or was it a main room? She hadn't heard anything - no footsteps, no voices, not even a phone ringing.

He had let her out, but he had blindfolded her before he escorted her to the bathroom. He hadn't done much talking, but she tried to tune her ears into simple things everyone took for granted. She had heard cars honking and a dog barking, but how far from the house, she had no idea. But there was something that haunted her: the smell. It wasn't just any smell, it was death. Fear and evil mixed with death. Her skin still crawled.

She shivered in the cold. She wished she had her windbreaker, but at least she had remembered to wear her sweats. Still, that didn't keep the cold from seeping in. Drawing her legs up, she brought her bound wrists closer to her breasts to keep in the warmth.

It must be night, she wondered to herself. It was definitely colder. _Poor Mudgie,_ _did anyone ever find you and let you out? I'm going to owe you a steak when I see you again._ Her thoughts went to the black Lab and how he had laid on her feet to keep her warm when Dave was away.

_Dave!_ Her body tingled with the thought of Dave holding her tight in his arms that last night they were together. She could still feel his lips on hers, his tongue mating with hers as his hands brought her to the point of no return.

Closing her eyes, she remembered the spicy taste of his smooth skin as she made love to him. The way he cried out her name as his hands wrapped in her hair and his body made them one. He pushed her hard and fast to completion as he whispered in Italian how much he loved her and he would never let her go. She was his forever. He had held her tight in his arms as she fell asleep - her last good sleep.

A bout of coughing caught her off guard. What had started off a little cough earlier had turned into a spasm as she tried to catch her breath.

"Great," she gasped as the tears ran down her cheeks. "On top of everything else, why not get pneumonia?" She curled up tighter into the corner. "Real smart, Em, press your back against the cold cinder blocks; that isn't going to help anything."

Trying to catch her breath, Em staved off another fit. Suddenly the door was thrown open with a loud bang and light filled the room.

"Hey, bitch, I'm home. Did you miss me?" the voice thundered loudly. Em turned her head away from the harsh bright light. He stomped over to where she was curled up. "I brought you something to eat." He knelt down beside her and opened the bag. The aroma tickled Em's nose. Her stomach grumbled in response.

"Aren't you going to say anything?" he asked.

"Thank you," Em whispered. A part of her wanted to shove the food in his face and try to make a break for it, but the seasoned profiler in her knew it was more beneficial to play along. She needed to let him think he had the upper hand, that he was the one in control. If she could get him to drop his guard for a moment, she could profile him. Then she might have a chance.

He thrust the burger container at her. "Eat!"

Em struggled to pick the fully loaded burger up. She wasn't sure what warned her, but she knew she had to be careful. He was judging her and the way she reacted. Carefully she did as she was ordered although he sat and watched her every move.

Finished, Em swallowed the last bite. "That was…good." It had been and would have been better if his breath hadn't been filling her nostrils. Suddenly her head snapped to the side and stars burst behind her eyelids.

"Did I give you permission to speak?" he thundered.

What had tasted so good a moment earlier threatened to make an appearance. Cupping the side of her head, Em kept her head down.

"I asked you a question!"

"No. No, you didn't."

"What do you say?"

"I'm sorry."

"That's better. I said I was going to teach you some manners. Seems the others didn't know how lucky they had it."

"May I ask a question?" Em braced herself for his reaction, but he seemed amused.

"You get one, so make it good."

"Where is -" Em swallowed hard. She really wanted to keep her dinner. "Where is the woman who was here?"

"Gone. She was good for a moment, but she thought she could get away. I taught her a lesson she'll never forget." Cupping Em's cheek, he leaned in so close she could make out the acne scars on his forehead. "Something tells me you're a fast learner. Maybe I'll keep you around for a while."

Getting up, he took the container and threw it in the bag. Limping toward the stairs, he turned around. "Maybe tomorrow I'll let you shower, and then you can show me a few things. Something tells me you're a real wild cat in the sack. As long as you don't bite, you might learn a thing or two, too." He shuffled up the stairs, turned out the light, and slammed the door behind him.

Em closed her eyes and repeated the Arabic alphabet out loud twice. Eventually, her stomach calmed down. _That was a close one,_ she whispered silently. _Tomorrow you can get out for a moment, then you can size him up._

Shivering, she curled tighter. Maybe the team found something and would come to rescue her. Or better yet, the pneumonia would do her in. Either way would be a relief if it meant he would never touch her again.

Closing her eyes, Em willed herself to think of somewhere sunny and warm. If the UNSUB could use psychological torture to break her down, she could use dreams to keep herself warm.

"You're on the beach in the Bahamas, wearing that tiny French bikini," she muttered. "And Dave is with you."

That brought a tiny smile to her face, but it was still a long while before she fell asleep.


	22. Chapter 22

_Soul search time for Dave. At a cross roads with his guilty conscience and sense of duty, he goes looking for answers. But will he be ready for them? _

_On a side note, I will be moving to another state later this week and will not be posting as often as in the past. Bear with me as I make this transition. I promise to be back up as soon as possible with updates and new postings. Thank you._

**Through The Fire**

Dave turned the corner and walked up the steps to the dark oak doors. It had been so long since he had been here that he wondered if it would be selfish to ask a favour in his time of need. But he needed strength and direction and this was the only place he knew that could provide what he was missing. He had gone for a walk to try and find the answers and somehow his feet had led him here. So, it must mean something.

Pulling open the heavy door, his nose caught the faint scent of incense and burning candles. As soft ethereal music played in the background, he slowly walked up the aisle to the altar. Dipping his fingers in the Holy Water, he knelt down, crossed himself and said a quick prayer.

Looking around, he noticed that there was no one else in the sanctuary. Running a hand over his weary features, he made his way to one of the rooms off to the far side of the wall. Stepping inside, he drew the drape. Bowing his head, he waited. The secret door beside him drew open.

"Forgive me Father, for I have sinned," Dave began. "It's been six months since my last confession."

"Hello, Davy," a familiar voice greeted, "I thought I might be seeing again."

"Hi, Jimmy."

"I was wondering when you would decide to show up," the priest replied smoothly. The silence stretched painfully long. "I read about your agent being abducted. Emily Prentiss? Isn't she the one you came to me for help a couple of years back?"

"Yes," Dave admitted reluctantly.

"Why would you be coming to confession because of what happened to her? Do you feel guilty?" Jimmy asked with concern. Dave didn't answer. "Why would you feel guilty?"

"I wasn't there to protect her."

"Where were you?"

"Los Angeles. I had to meet with my editor about the upcoming book tour."

"Was it scheduled or last minute?" Jimmy replied.

"It was planned."

Jimmy cocked his head slightly. "So how is it your fault that Emily was abducted? You weren't here."

"I should have been," Dave argued. "I told her not to go running because of what was happening to women in the surrounding areas…"

"But she went anyway," Jimmy finished.

"I should have taken her to Los Angeles with me. Instead I left Mudgie with her in the hopes that if she did go running, at least she would have some protection."

"What happened to Mudgie?"

"Nothing," Dave answered, "except that he had been locked up in Em's brownstone for a few hours before I found him."

"I still don't understand how this is your fault. Emily went running against your wishes and didn't take Mudgie…you did nothing wrong."

Dave's face hardened. "Are you implying that this is _her_ fault?" Thirty years of friendship now lay on the line.

"I'm not implying anything," Jimmy corrected. "I'm asking why you are taking on this burden."

Dave looked down at his hands. "I broke my promise to you and to her."

"Which was…?"

"To protect her. To guard her. I didn't."

"This was not your fault Davy; this could be God's plan."

"What plan would that be? To let an innocent woman suffer at the hands of a serial killer? To make her friends and family suffer? Or to let more people suffer because we can't catch this guy?" Dave choked out as tears of anger and grief clogged his throat.

Jimmy shook his head. "I don't have an answer for those questions. All I can tell you is that God has His reasons and a plan for all of us. He needs Emily to help Him with this."

"She could die!"

"She could," Jimmy agreed. "If it is in His plan."

"Why couldn't it be me?"

"Because it wasn't," was the simple reply.

"It's not fair."

"You should know better than anyone that it never is." Jimmy watched his friend thru the mesh divider. "What does Emily mean to you?"

"I love her.

"As a friend? A co-worker?"

"I asked her to marry me and to move in together."

"So you could protect her, but she didn't and this happened and now you feel guilty," Jimmy filled in the blanks.

"I thought I was supposed to be the profiler," Dave quipped.

Jimmy grinned. "Priest or profiler - it's all the same thing. There is nothing difficult about reading people's hearts. You have a big heart Davy…bigger than most people I know, and that is why you are suffering right now. Your faith has been shaken but you still came here looking for guidance."

"Some guidance," Dave countered, "her parents flew in today; they want answers and we have nothing to give them. This is their only daughter and they could lose her. The team could lose their friend and partner. Doesn't that mean anything to you? To God?"

"What I think doesn't apply here. I'm here to guide you and set you back on the road God is intending for you."

"I don't want to lose Emily." Dave blinked quickly.

"I know."

"If anything happens to her…" Dave tried not to think about it. He had seen Hotch beat a man to death over Haley. He never thought he was capable of that…until now.

"Do you have faith in God?" Jimmy asked softly.

"Before this or after?"

"Before or after is neither here nor there. The question is: do you have faith in God?"

"Yes," Dave admitted.

"That faith should be enough to guide you to do the right thing when the moment comes."

"Are you suggesting that I would…?"

"This is confession; everything is confidential. But I know you. I have known you far longer than most people…other than Mama Rossi, and I can recognize that tone in your voice. Emily means more to you than maybe even you understand. Even more than any of your wives. I'm impressed."

"Are you saying that this is a miracle?"

"Pretty close. And I'm witnessing it."

"It's good that you are on that side of the divider," Dave commented, but there was bit of teasing in his words.

"Just the same, you need to keep your faith that all of this is going to work out in the end."

"But not necessarily for the better."

"When it's God's plan, it's always for the best. He has that part taken care of and it's a waste of energy to question it. Your plan is to do the job you were put on earth for."

"Sometimes my job sucks."

"Be that as it may, if you keep the faith, God will provide. He will never abandon us in our time of need."

Dave considered Jimmy's words. No crime was perfect, every criminal made a mistake; it was just a matter of finding that mistake.

"Thank you, Jimmy."

"You don't get off that easy; one Rosary, and I want to see you on Sunday," Jimmy replied.

"Yes, Father."

Jimmy made the sign of the cross and said a prayer. He made another sign of the cross. "Go with God, Davy. Get some rest."

"Yes." The divider closed between them. Dave got up and went out to the large sanctuary. Turning toward the altar, he dipped his fingers in the Holy Water and crossed himself. Then walking over to the box on the wall, he shoved a bill inside.

Walking down the aisle, he pushed the double doors open and stepped outside into the frigid air. He needed to go home, but first he was going for a walk to clear his head. 


	23. Chapter 23

_**Many thanks to rjwritergirl for giving me the scene between Dave and Elizabeth Prentiss. **_

_**On a side note, I will be moving to another state later this week and will not be posting as often as in the past. Bear with me as I make this transition. I promise to be back up as soon as possible with updates and new postings. Thank you.**_

_**For the new readers: When the team is at the BAU or on a case, they are addressed by their last name. When they are off the clock, I refer to them by their first.**_

**Through The Fire**

Morning arrived at the BAU too early. The team was gathered around the round table trying to once again fit the pieces together, but nothing was working. Reid was busy racking his brain as he detailed all the abduction sites and tried to coordinate them with where the bodies were dumped. It didn't make sense and he hated things that didn't add up.

Rossi rubbed a hand over his eyes. It was evident that he had not gotten much sleep in the past few days. But he had a job to do; sleep could wait.

"Let's go over this again," he spoke up and looked at his folder. "Garcia?"

"Right here, Boss," the tech greeted with unusual perkiness. "What do you need?"

"Those tire tracks and cigarette butts…did forensics come back with anything?" he asked and picked up his coffee cup. Putting it to his lips, he realized it was empty.

"They have. It seems that our UNSUB has four different tires on his car, so that isn't going to help track him."

"Four different tires?" Reid asked.

"Either he is cheap and buys his tires at a recycle shop, or he's doing it to throw us off his track," Morgan answered. Hotch nodded.

"Anyway," Garcia continued, "it turns out that who ever this guy is has a severe case of gout. His uric acid levels were off the charts. They didn't detect any medication levels in his blood stream…"

"So, he's off of the meds, or he doesn't know he has it," Morgan finished.

"That has to be painful for him. Gout can cause permanent damage physically," Reid conveyed. "He could have other underlying conditions such as diabetes, too. I know that it's going to really impair his joints so he's going to have difficulty walking when it flares up."

"That would explain the uneven footprints at the crime scene, and why he dragged Emily," JJ offered.

"But that doesn't bring us any closer to finding out who this scumbag is," Dave ground out and slammed his coffee cup down on the table. All eyes looked at him.

"Dave," Hotch motioned as he walked to the door, "can I talk to you for a few minutes?" Stepping out of the office, he waited for the older agent follow. "What is going on?"

"Hotch…"

"I know that this case is touching you personally, but I won't stand by and watch you destroy your career because you can't separate your feelings. Tell me now if I'm going to have to remove you."

Rossi held the BAU Chief's gaze. "No, you don't have to remove me."

"When was the last time you got some sleep?" Hotch asked, his tone softened, taking in the dark circles under the older agent's eyes.

"Thursday, I think."

"Get some rest."

"Hotch, I've done more than this on less sleep when I was starting out. We used to go days without sleeping," Rossi protested.

"You were also younger, and you weren't personally intimate with the victim," Hotch corrected.

"You can't take me off the case."

"I'm not taking you off the case, Dave; I'm saving you and your career. Go get some rest; you're dead on your feet."

"Hotch, I'm fine."

"No, you're not," Hotch corrected. "It's clear that you're working on very little sleep, you're no good to us or Emily if you're sick."

Rossi tried to keep his temper from rising. "Hotch, Emily is out there…."

"And we will find her, and the SOB who grabbed her, but we need everyone on the team to be well rested." Rossi opened his mouth to argue but Hotch continued. "When we find him, I will let you lead the team in. I will tell Strauss or anyone else who asks that it was all in the name of self defense."

There was a pause as Rossi digested what Hotch was saying. "I know what you're going thru."

"I still outrank you," Rossi retorted.

"Perhaps, but I am the Unit Chief, and I am ordering you to go into your office and rest for a couple of hours; if we find something we will come in and tell you," Hotch's tone left no room for argument.

Turning on his heel, Rossi walked across the bullpen to the staircase. Climbing up, he made his way to the office. Closing the door, he sat down at the desk and closed his eyes.  
****

She had bided her time long enough. The disappearance of her daughter was forefront in Elizabeth Prentiss's thoughts, but something else was weighing on her mind. Never one to let go of a moment, she waited for the coast to clear before she made her move.

Walking up the steps to Rossi's office, she paused then knocked. Without waiting for an invite, she stepped inside.

"Ambassador Prentiss," Rossi greeted as he tried to wipe away the remnants of sleep. "How can I help you?"

For a long moment, Elizabeth stared at the older agent as if sizing him up. She had spent her life reading people to gage their reactions to make and seal important deals. David Rossi was no different and what he was feeling was written all over his face. "You love my daughter." It wasn't a question.

Rossi found himself staring at the mother of the woman he was supposed to guard and protect - yet ultimately failed. In that moment, he realized that Emily and her mother shared the same shape of eyes. And his heart squeezed painfully.

"Yes," he admitted.

"So, you are the one she was excited about."

"I don't understand," Rossi replied.

"A few days ago I talked to Emily. It was only for a minute, but there was change in her voice - something I had never heard before…even when she got into the FBI. I knew it had to be someone special." She scanned the older agent with an eagle's eye. "I would have never imagined that the person who turned her life around would be the infamous FBI Lothario."

"I'm not that person any more," Rossi threw back at her. He was so tired of people bringing up his past indiscretions. Yes, he had been young, stupid, and horny, and felt the need to mark everything thing that walked past him in a skirt. He thought he was invincible and love was just a word people used and threw away when it was not longer relevant.

But he had grown up a lot since then. Three divorces and retirement had been the biggest reality check. Turning fifty and realizing that he was only three years younger than his dad had been when he passed away was enough to hit mortality home. He had reevaluated his life and tried to throw out all the baggage that had weighed him down. He promised to start over and begin fresh - and then he met Emily.

He had vowed to never fall in love with a co-worker, but the moment he had shaken her hand, he was smitten. He knew if he was going to win her, it would be like playing the ultimate game of chess. So he had bided his time and placed his pieces strategically and then made his move. He had gotten his queen after fifty four years of searching. And then just like that - she was gone.

"That David Rossi no longer exists," he reiterated staunchly.

"I know. I needed to hear it from you." She had him where she wanted him and now it was time to get some answers. "What are your intentions toward my daughter?"

"I'm going to marry her."

"Have you asked her?" Elizabeth's eyes danced with amusement. She had investigated David Rossi on her own and had literally had to tie herself down to keep from snatching Emily up. But this man standing in front of her was nothing like the report. And she was beyond impressed.

"I did. I love Emily more than I ever thought possible. There is nothing I wouldn't do for her. If I have to lay my life down for her, I will." Rossi held her gaze. For a long minute neither person blinked as both sides refused to give in. Finally, the silence was broken.

"I hope it doesn't come down to that because it would break Emily's heart; just bring my daughter back alive." Elizabeth turned to leave.

"I am going to find her."

Elizabeth gave a slight nod of her head. "I know you will. Good day, Agent Rossi." Her carriage was regal and stiff, but the air wasn't cold - unlike when Strauss entered his office. The Ambassador closed the door softly behind her.

Rossi let out his breath and said a silent prayer.


	24. Chapter 24

_As Em's illness progresses, she is gripped by memories. At the same time the UNSUB thinks he has finally found the perfect woman. Will Em's illness change everything?_

_On a side note, I will be moving to another state later this week and will not be posting as often as in the past. Bear with me as I make this transition. I promise to be back up as soon as possible with updates and new postings. Thank you._

**Through The Fire**

If Em had ever thought she was dying before, it was for sure she was on the verge of expiring shortly…if she didn't cough up a lung first. Yes, it was a ridiculous thought and she was overreacting, but that last coughing spell had left her weak and gasping for breath. She couldn't remember the last time she had gotten sick - much less had a cough - but it sure was making up for lost time.

Burrowing tighter into a ball, she wondered if her captor was ever coming back. He promised her a shower and maybe he would get her something warmer to wear.

_Wake up, Emily! He doesn't care about whether you're warm; he wants to rape and kill you because he's a sadistic, impotent, narcissistic, serial killer bastard. He lives for torture and humiliating his victims and when the time starts to run out, he will do the same to you,_ her conscience screamed.

"I know. I want to go home," Em replied to no one. In all of her life she never felt as bad as she did at that moment. She had been shot, beaten, hit by a car, a truck, a 2 X4, and too many other things to count, but none compared to the horrible feeling gripping her. Another wave of cough spasms wracked her body. Going with it, she wished for a glass of water during a brief pause as she tried to catch her breath.

Her head hurt, her body ached, and she was one gigantic goose bump. Curled up in a ball on the cold, damp concrete, Em closed her eyes.

"_Thank you so much for watching him," JJ commented as she took the sleeping boy from Em's arms._

"_He was pretty good, although I don't think I'll ever be able to get the Barney song out of my head." Em reached for the diaper bag._

"_I hope I didn't interrupt any plans; Will got that last minute invite from his lieutenant and Pen was out…"_

"_It's okay," Em assured her. "I'm glad I could help." Double checking to make sure the sippy cup and baby wipes were in the bag, she handed it over. "I think everything is in there."_

"_I owe you one."_

"_You can take me to lunch."_

"_Deal." JJ hiked the bag higher and shifted Henry. "Have you ever thought about having kids?"_

_Em laughed. "No." A look crossed over her face. "No," she repeated but not as strongly._

"_You're a natural mom; you should think about having a couple," JJ remarked._

"_There is a difference between two hours and eighteen years."_

"_True. But you would be surprised how fast it goes by."_

"_I'll trust you." Em ran a finger over Henry's downy soft cheek. "Besides, I would need a man to accomplish the baby part…and right now with no man, that equals no baby."_

"_I can always find you a good man."_

"_Ha! The only men we know are the ones with work with or the ones we meet on a case. I might be desperate for sex, but I draw the line at co-workers and long distance relationships."_

"_I know about that; even though Will is here, it's still hard."_

"_I don't need any more headaches. And as long as the Ambassador isn't harping on me for grandbabies, I'm sure that I still have time."_

"_Just remember, life is short…"_

JJ's voice rang in Em's head. Groaning, she tried to think of anything to banish that memory. _Where in the world that that conversation come from?_ Shaking her head, she tried to remember that beach she had gone to when her mother was stationed in Italy. Where had it been? France? Ireland? Oh yeah…Monaco! The beautiful tiny island paradise called Monaco - and boy had she had fun running around on the beach, going topless, shopping… She wanted Dave to take her there for their honeymoon.

_Okay, Em, now you are hallucinating! You are in the grip of a fever that is tearing you up and boiling your brain! You need to get it together so you can get out of here!_

"Just let me rest for a few minutes," she begged out loud and closed her eyes.

"_Why didn't you ever have kids?" Em asked Dave._

_Lowering the paper, he looked at her. "What?"_

"_Kids. Why didn't you ever have them with any of your ex-wives? Didn't you want them?"_

"_I suppose I did when I first got married. But after things fell apart, I was actually thankful that God had decided not to bless me." He folded the paper. "May I ask where that question came from? Did your mother say something to you?"_

"_Oh God no! JJ just mentioned something last week about me and being a 'natural mother'. I know why I haven't had any; I was curious about you."_

"_Maybe God thinks one of me in this world is enough."_

"_Who says it has to be a boy? What if he gives you a girl?"_

"_Oh hell no! I have enough to worry about with you; if I get a replica of you, I will never be able to get a good night's sleep again!" He looked at her long and hard. "Wait! Are you…?"_

"_No! No! I just can't get that conversation out of my head. And…well, it's…that date. It's coming up."_

"_I know." Dave drew her into his arms and held her tight. "I didn't want to say anything."_

_Em nestled her head into the crook between Dave's neck and shoulder. "It's okay. I woke up this morning and I realized that she would have been twenty-one."_

"_I'm sorry."_

"_It didn't hurt as bad as I thought it would. I did do something to honour her."_

"_Do I want to know?"_

"_I got a tattoo._

"_A what?"_

"_A tattoo." She pulled back and hooked her thumb under the waistband of her sweats to show him the tiny heart with a date in the middle._

"_Nice. You'll have to put that in your medical file."_

"_No. This is my secret. We're allowed to have at least one secret the government doesn't know about. If I show them, I'll have to explain. She's my secret."_

"Our_ secret," Dave corrected. "How do you know that it would have been a she?"_

"_I dreamt about her once. A beautiful little girl with big brown eyes and long black curls."_

"_Just like her mom."_

"_I miss her sometimes," Em choked._

"_I know you do."_

"_I don't know if I"ll ever want to have kids."_

"_Nothing wrong with that, Tesoro. Nothing wrong with that…"_

Em felt the tears run down her cheeks. She had been wrong; she wanted kids. She should have told Dave, but now it was too late.  
****

The back door opened and the man shuffled in. There was something to be said about living out in the middle of nowhere, but it sure did put a damper on other things. He wondered what he had been thinking by having to drive out to the big city twice a week to get groceries and other things. But it did help him because he didn't have to worry about neighbours sticking their noses into his business.

How lucky had he been that his grandmother had died and left him her insurance policy? How cool had it been that he had found this dilapidated place to fix up only to uncover a fall out shelter in the back yard? Literally sound proof and not visible to passerby's, he was finally able to achieve the one thing he had always wanted: the perfect woman.

In the beginning it had seemed so easy - take a woman, groom her, train her, and make her subservient to his needs, wants and desires. But there was no 'How To Book' to guide him along. He had killed the first woman out of frustration. She had screamed and hurt him, and he took it out on her. He didn't know what to do, so he buried her in the backyard.

The next couple of women had been fun, but he found that he liked to hear them scream. He tried to keep them around, but after a week, he grew tired of them and put them out of his misery. He liked the torture and the kill more than anything else. It had almost been a game.

Whores were easy to pick up - dumb, horny, prick-teasers were more than eager to jump in a car…especially when he waved a couple of hundred dollar bills under their noses. He liked to frightened them and torment them, but he never had sex with them. It was the ones that reminded him of his mother - that prissy, beautiful, holier than thou bitch - he took his anger and frustration out on. She had always been running around with her girlfriends, shopping, never taking care of him, letting his dad hit the bottle and him…until that night his father wrapped the car around a telephone pole and killed her and himself.

Now he was going to get the woman his mother should have been for his dad. It looked like that pretty brunette bitch might fit the role. It was still a little too early to tell, but he had time. And if she turned out like the others, he could get rid of her and start again.

Getting up from the kitchen table, he stepped outside. It was getting cold and snow was predicted. He promised her that he would get her a shower. It had been two days since he had gotten his dick wet. It was time to break the drought.

Stomping his foot, he cried out in pain. Lately his foot had been hurting. Maybe if he got this one semi-trained, he would go to the doctor. Then again, if he got her trained, the doctor could wait.

He slammed the back door and went off to get his prize.


	25. Chapter 25

_Em tries to profile her captor. Meanwhile, Dave and Morgan bond over their guilt._

**Through The Fire**

A key rattled in the door before it was swung open. Stepping down the stairs, the string was pulled as light filled the darkened area.

"Hey bitch," his voice called out. "Where are you?" He looked around the area and saw nothing. Walking closer, he caught sight of the red sweatshirt. "I know you're not hiding from me." Reaching down, he yanked Em up into a sitting position.

"Not hiding," she whispered. She tried to focus on his face but he kept dancing around in her vision.

"You're supposed to come when I call."

"Sick," she replied as her eyes rolled up in her head.

"Hey!" he shouted and shook Em hard. "Get up! It's time for some fun."

"Need a shower."

"Damn right you do."

"Why?" she asked. _Focus, Em. Focus on his voice and words. Learn all you can._

"Because I don't fuck dirty whores," he spat.

"I'm not a whore."

"All women are."

"That's not true." Em could feel her second wind coming on.

"Women are only good for two things in this world and they can't even get that right."

Em took the moment to delve deeper into his psyche since he had opened the door. If she was going to survive, she needed to find a way to outsmart him - use his anger against him and get him to drop his guard.

"Who hurt you?" she questioned. Her head hurt, her lungs were on fire, and her stomach rumbled loudly, but her first instinct was survival.

"What do you mean?"

"Someone hurt you. Was it your mother? Is that why you rape women who aren't hookers and leave them naked and humiliated in death while you barely touch prostitutes?"

"Shut your fucking mouth!" he spat.

"Is that why you are seeking revenge? Is it revenge on you mother? Was she having an affair? I think she was and that is why you are doing this."

"Shut your fucking mouth!" he spat. Lashing out, he slapped her repeatedly until her head lolled and blood trailed from the corner of her mouth. "You don't speak until you're spoken to! Do you understand me?"

Multi-coloured starbursts exploded behind Em's eyes as she felt her world fade in and out. She couldn't pass out or he would kill her. She tried to clear her head as tears ran down her cheeks and the taste of iron filled her mouth. She was bleeding, but she had to stay focused. But she had found out more about him.

"I'm sorry," she whispered and waited for another fit of rage. But it never came. Instead, he looked at her with a snarky smile.

"That's better." Yanking Em to her feet, he pushed her toward the stairs. "Come on."

"Where are we going?" Stumbling, she tried to keep herself upright and steady although the world seemed to be spinning out of control.

"Get you cleaned up, then we can have some fun." Blindfolding her, he pulled her up the stairs to the outside. Em tried to pull back. The shower was the next step to her possible demise. But she also uncovered a possible motive behind the UNSUB's abductions and murders. He was going to slip up. He had to.

But first, a hot shower.  
*****

Morgan tried to maneuver his crutches while holding on to the folder gripped tightly in his hand. As his crutch hit the side of the desk, he stumbled causing the contents from the manila folder to spill out.

"Son of a bitch!" he cursed under his breath. Balancing with one hand, he tried to bend over and retrieve the papers. His knee protested. Sweat broke out on his forehead as he straightened up.

"Here, let me get that for you," Rossi offered. Kneeling down, he swept the papers up into a neat stack. Taking the folder from Morgan, he stuffed everything inside.

"I can take that."

"No, you looked wiped out; sit down before you fall down," Rossi ordered and placed everything on the desk.

"Rossi…"

"You might be acting Team Leader, but I still outrank you on a dozen levels. Besides, you're on medical leave and shouldn't be here, so that negates any authority you may have had. Now sit," Rossi repeated with an authoritative tone.

Realizing that it might be better to do as he was told than to argue, Morgan sat down on the chair. Setting the crutches aside, he took a deep breath and tried to wait for the spasm in his knee to pass.

"I thought Hotch told you to go home and rest your leg?" Rossi asked as he sat down on the corner of the desk. He took in his ashen faced co-worker and the thin film of sweat coating his skin.

"I'm fine."

"Fine?" Rossi scoffed. "You nearly passed out bending over to pick up some papers. If that is fine, I don't want to see you when you're really hurting."

"Don't profile me, Rossi," Morgan bit out thru clenched teeth.

"It's not profiling when pointing out the obvious. So why are you still here instead of at home resting?"

"Why are _you_ still here?"

"Because Emily is out there somewhere."

"It has nothing to do with guilt?" Morgan challenged.

Rossi raised an eyebrow. "Funny, I was going to ask you the same thing." His gaze held Morgan's for a long while. "I guess we share something else in common."

"I should have been there for her," Morgan admitted.

"Derek, you were hurt. What could you have done? Hit the UNSUB with your crutch?"

"I was supposed to take the both of you to breakfast on Sunday and officially meet Em's 'fiancé'."

"You don't say," Rossi replied casually. "How did you find out?"

"Call it my police instinct. Something was hinkey and when I asked her, she dodged the topic."

"Sounds like Em."

"I saw that look you gave her on the jet," Morgan stated and shoved the folder aside. "When we were heading to Seattle. It was the one moment where your guard was down. I also confronted her with what I suspected."

"What did she say?"

Morgan shrugged. "She finally admitted it. Then she told me that you wanted her to move in with you to keep her safe. I guess you know what her reaction was."

"What did you tell her?" Rossi prodded.

"That she should do it…especially when she revealed that we had been running in areas where the women had been disappearing." Morgan slapped the desk loudly. "Dammit! Why wasn't I there? Why did I have to get hurt?"

"It was meant to be." It hurt for him to say the words, but it was true.

Morgan's eyes flew to the senior agent. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"You're a cop, and you know better than anyone that there is very rarely a 'coincidence'. But if it makes you feel any better, I'm just as guilty - if not more so - that this happened. I vowed in front of a priest to protect her and I failed."

"Rossi, you had to go out of town on business, you didn't know this was going to happen."

"Maybe not consciously, but I suspected it might. I even told her not to go running."

"I did the same."

Rossi got up and paced the office. "I left Mudgie there for her."

"You did all you could."

"I should have taken her with me."

"I should have called her that morning," Morgan countered.

"I should have rescheduled."

"Yes, you should have."

"And you could have gone in last and avoided being hit by that arsonist," Rossi shot back.

Both agents got quiet as the last sentence rang in their ears.

"Are we…'bonding'?" Rossi asked. He thrust his hands into his coat pocket.

"I guess we are," Morgan admitted. Pulling the folder back, he flipped it open.

"Is that Em's dossier?" Rossi sat down across from Morgan.

"Yes. I've been over it a hundred times and nothing is standing out." Morgan started to hand it over. "Do you want to look at it?"

Rossi shook his head. "I probably know it better than anyone. You guys always run that area?"

"Three times a week when we can."

"And nothing was out of the ordinary the last time you ran?"

Morgan thought hard. "Nothing. She aggravated her charley horse and had to sit down." He concentrated as the morning came back. "I teased her about her fiancé and was about to make her divulge his name when she said she had to sit down."

"Did you stay with her?"

"No. She sat down on a bench and told me to keep going."

"Was anyone there with her?"

"She was alone…"Morgan's voice trailed off.

"What?" Rossi leaned forward. "You remember something."

"When I came back, she was talking to an older man. He was walking his dog. But he's not our guy. He's a widower and probably couldn't lift his dog."

"Maybe he saw something. If he has a dog, he has a routine." Rossi got up from the chair.

"Where are you going?" Morgan demanded and tried to stand up.

"To the park," Rossi threw over his shoulder, rushing to the door.

"Wait!" Morgan struggled to find his crutches and stand up. "I'm going with you."

"The hell you are! You're injured and can't be out in the field. Stay here and reanalyze that day."

"Screw that! I'm going."

"Okay. Tell you what: if you can get downstairs and to the SUV before I can get to Garcia and tell her what you are doing, you can go."

Morgan settled his weight on the pads of the crutches. "Bastard," he bit out.

"That's Agent Bastard to you." Rossi rushed out to find Hotch.

Morgan settled back in the chair. He was staying put for the moment, but he was going to be there when they found Em. And he was going to personally slap the cuffs on that scumbag of an UNSUB.

And if was going to be so sweet.


	26. Chapter 26

_Dave and Hotch have located the old man with the dog. Elsewhere, Em may have just unknowingly saved her own life._

**Through The Fire**

Hotch guided the SUV to the parking space near the sidewalk path leading toward the park. Throwing the engine into park, he turned off the ignition.

"If what Morgan said was right, the man walking the dog would have been there between six-thirty and seven. And the dog would need to be walked again at two. We may be able to catch him," Rossi unlatched his seatbelt and looked around. How different the area looked in the sunshine.

Hotch followed his friend. "Has the Ambassador talked to you?"

"Yes." Rossi's eyes scanned the area. "She wanted to know my intentions toward Emily."

"And you told her what?"

"The truth. I'm going to marry her daughter…come hell or high water."

"And she was happy with that?"

"I guess since I promised to bring Emily home…come hell or high water."

"Setting the bar a little high?"

"I never make a promise I can't keep," Rossi replied. Hotch raised his eyebrow. "I never make a promise I can't keep for the people that I love."

"One of you is going to have to leave the BAU."

Rossi shrugged. "I'm turning fifty-eight in two years, so the FBI is either going to force me to retire or put me out to pasture. Either way, I would like to beat them to the punch."

"There is always the interrogation methods class at the academy. No one is better than you when it comes to interrogations. You might think about applying there before turning your hardware in for the second time," Hotch remarked.

"I've considered it, but I was hoping to run it by Em first."

"If you think you can handle having a wife who is always going from case to case and leaving you at home…" Hotch's words trailed off but the implication was there. "You know as well as I do the toll this job can take on a marriage."

Rossi looked at his right hand and twisted his FBI ring around. "No one on earth knows better than I the toll this damn job takes; I've lost everything - including the shirt off my back - twice. I'm not going into this blind. Besides, it will be interesting to be the one who stays at home waiting for my spouse."

"I see you've thought this through."

"I figure I can either marry Em or wait until she's out of town and move all of her stuff to my place. I figure the first won't get me shot…"

Hotch looked at his friend for a long moment. "I wouldn't rule anything out yet; Emily hasn't married you." A small smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.

"I'm glad I haven't made you my best man; it saves having to tell you that I chose Morgan instead," Rossi quipped.

Hotch caught a figure walking up the path. "I think that's who we're looking for; come on." Getting out of the SUV, he walked over to the older man walking a dog.

"Excuse me; may we speak to you for a moment?" Hotch asked.

The older man looked around. "May I ask what this concerns?"

"The abductions and murders in the area."

"You are…?" the man asked.

Hotch and Rossi flashed their credentials. "I'm Agent Hotchner and this is Agent Rossi. We just have a few questions, Mr. …"

"Grant. Lou Grant."

Rossi pulled a photo from his coat pocket. "Do you know this woman?" he asked and handed it over. Lou looked at it for a moment before he recognized the person.

"I've seen her around. In fact, I talked to her a couple of weeks ago over…" Lou pointed toward the tunnel, "there." He handed the picture back to Rossi. "She was nice. Very talkative. Buster seemed to like her. Has something happened to her?" Genuine concern was in his tone.

"Do you remember who she was with?" Hotch inquired.

Lou shrugged. "A young looking black man. I think she said he was her friend after I told her that he couldn't possibly be her fiancé for leaving her behind."

"Did you notice anyone in the area? He would have tried to conceal himself or blend in with his surroundings. But he would have still stood out somehow," Rossi prompted.

Lou thought hard. "I don't recall anyone other than that young lady and her gentleman friend."

"Do you walk your dog here everyday?" Hotch asked.

"Nearly. When the weather is good…like today."

"How many times?"

"Twice a day. Unless the weather is bad then I let him out in the yard."

"Were you walking Buster this past Sunday morning?"

"No. It looked as thought it might rain and it was too cold to walk." Lou became nervous. "I'm sorry agents, but has something happened?"

"The woman you talked to was abducted Sunday morning while she was jogging," Hotch replied.

"She was?" Lou looked at Hotch and Rossi for the truth. Both agents nodded. "Here? I told her to be careful."

"You don't remember _anyone_?" Rossi questioned again. "Think hard. He would have been lurking, lying in wait He stood out."

Lou concentrated on everything he had seen in the area. "Wait! I do remember something. A couple of weeks ago, Buster and I were walking down the path when this man passed by. I didn't think anything of it but Buster started growling."

"What did he look like?" Hotch asked.

"Tall, a little heavy set…he had a limp."

"You didn't see his face?"

Lou shook his head. "No. He kept his head down. I'm sorry. Do you think he might be the one you're looking for- the guy who's been doing the killings around the area?"

Hotch glanced at Rossi then back to Lou. "We don't know. I would like to ask that until all of this is over you stay out of the park. There is no telling if he thinks you may have seen him and what you know. It's just a precaution."

"I understand." Lou pulled on Buster's leash. "Come on boy." Buster whined as he tried to sniff Rossi's jeans. "You must have a dog?"

Rossi nodded. "I do."

"So does she."

"Who?"

"That young lady. You two agents have a good day. I hope you find her." Lou started to walk away.

"Well, at least we know Emily was possibly targeted," Rossi stated as he scanned the last know area where Emily had last been seen. He walked over to the bench and looked at it. "He knew she was running with Morgan and waited until she was alone."

"Dave, no one could have seen this coming. This guy is good. He's a serial killer with no set M.O. He got by the police for quite sometime before he decided to take Emily."

"He's methodical. He had a routine. He keeps them for three days before disposing of them. It's day two for Em," Rossi responded out loud as he realized the time was running out.

"Which means he's going to go hunting again…soon. He can't help it. But he's going to screw up somewhere and when he does…"

Rossi sighed. "I know."

"You think we should have followed Strauss's advice and release Emily's information to the press?" Hotch wondered.

"No. If anyone can get out of this alive, it's going to be Emily. She'll be profiling him, looking for his weakness before making her move. If he knows that she's a federal agent, it could back fire on her."

Hotch digested Rossi's words. "True." he looked at the area. "Come on, let's head back and see if Garcia has found anything."

Turning around, the agents walked silently to the SUV and got inside.  
***

Emily knew she had to be hallucinating. She was cold, hungry and she swore she heard voices. They were talking about her but she couldn't make out the words. She wanted to tell them to shut up but she couldn't form the words. She wanted to go home and curl under her comforter. She wanted something hot to drink and hold on to the nice warm body that occupied her bed. But she couldn't.

Her captor had taken her for a shower, but it had hurt too much when the spray touched her skin. Her fever was high and she couldn't concentrate. She had tried not to recoil from his hands washing her, but he held her still until he was done washing her.

Drying her off, he had put her in a robe then ordered her to the bedroom but when she stalled, he pushed her. Her response had been to vomit on his shoes. It hadn't been much, but it had disgusted him. He hadn't raped her, but he had beat her senseless and thrown her back down in the shelter.

If she could only get her thoughts together, she could try to figure out a way to get out of there. She just needed energy. But first she needed to make her body stop hurting.

"_Hi, Mommy," a little voice called out._

Emily shook her head. She was hearing things. Was there someone else down there with her? Opening her swollen eyes, she tried to focus on the dark room. "Is anyone here?" she croaked. Only silence.

"_It's okay, Mommy," the voice assured gently. "Everything is going to be okay."_

Emily felt the tears well up. Her baby, the one she had… This had to be the end; why else would she becoming to visit her if time hadn't run out?

"I'm sorry Baby," she whispered. "I'm so sorry." Emily leaned her throbbing head against the cold cinder blocks and closed her eyes.  
***

The man paced the floor impatiently. His plan had just fallen apart. Throwing a glass against the wall, he shouted a curse. The bitch had to get sick. He had waited three weeks for her and now she was sick. There was no way he could have fun with her now. Sure he could have fucked her, but when she threw up on his shoes, all thoughts of having fun with her had gone out of his mind as he punished her.

He was going to have to get rid of her now. He had hoped to keep her around for a little while longer, but she was useless to him now. He was going to have to start over.

"Dammit! Why didn't I take her when I had the chance?" he thundered to the empty room. He was going to have to go hunting tonight…unless his foot didn't stop hurting. Opening the Tylenol bottle, he washed the pill down with a beer. He could keep the bitch alive for another day before he got rid of her. Until then, he was going to rest his leg.

Turning out the light, he limped down the hallway to the bedroom.


	27. Chapter 27

_The UNSUB is going hunting for a new victim. One mistake on his part is going to make sure that his downfall is right around the corner. FYI: It is suggested that during the act of abduction or rape, yelling __**"FIRE!" **__is the fastest and surest way to get attention and assistance._

**Through The Fire**

Night fell as the temperature dropped and the wind picked up in intensity. Two scantily clad women stood beside a wall trying to block the breeze while keeping warm.

"So much for the weatherman's prediction that there was going to be a break in the cold tonight," the brunette woman grumbled to her partner as she shivered and burrowed deeper into her coat. "I think the wind has gotten colder in the last hour."

The second woman, a red-head, took a long drag on her cigarette. "Comes with the territory." She blew the smoke out. "Every job has its ups and downs."

"Whoever decided we needed to walk the streets in mini-skirts should be forced to wear them."

"You have to display the merchandise for the customer."

"While I freeze my ass off and they sit in a warm car? Sometimes I think I should have stayed in school."

"School sucked."

"It was warm."

"You want to go back where you came from and deal with that shit?"

"On nights like this, I wonder…" the first woman's voice trailed off as her eye caught an automobile. "That's unusual."

The red-head took another drag. "What is? You see something?"

"I haven't seen a Road Runner in forever."

The red-head chuckled. "The cold must be getting to you; there aren't any roadrunners in Arlington."

"Not the _bird_; a car. My grandpa had one in his garage he loved more than anything. He taught me all about cars…until he died. But I never thought I'd see one again." Her eyes followed the car until it disappeared around the corner.

"Don't get all sentimental on me sugar; we still have a job to do." The red head ground the cigarette out. "But I'll tell you what, if we don't get someone in the next half hour, I'm going home and taking a warm bath and forget the global warming they promised us."

"Sounds good."  
****

He had been driving around for an hour looking for that special someone. He didn't want to be doing this, not tonight. He would rather be home banging that gorgeous brunette, but she had to go and get sick and throw his routine off. Slapping the steering wheel in anger, he tried to keep his eyes on the road. Everything had started fall into place and she had to go and ruin it. He should have known it was too good to be true. _Never fucking trust a woman,_ he reminded himself silently.

Reaching over, he turned on the radio.

"_Police are still on the look out for whoever is responsible for the disappearance and murder of eight women in the Arlington/DC area. With no description, law enforcement and the FBI are warning women to travel in pairs and keep an extra vigilance when out in public. In other news, the White House Christmas Tree arrived from the Oregon this afternoon. Eighteen feet tall, it is expected to grace the rotunda in the…"_

Hitting the button, he searched for music. He needed to take his mind off of the moment. The cops were on the look out, but they didn't have a description. They were chasing a ghost.

But that still didn't solve his problem that he had yet to find the perfect woman. All he wanted was one that would do as he ordered and be the one. Follow orders and directions and not argue. He wanted what his mother should have been but couldn't…or rather wouldn't. His father would have wanted him to be happy with the perfect woman. He owed his father that much.

Slowing down, he passed by the two woman huddled next to the brick building. This was the second time around the block and if he was going to make a move, it had to be soon. He was tired of whores, but since George Patton Park was being patrolled, he had no choice but to go hunting in diseased territory.

Hitting the gas, he sped off. Making it to the end of the block, he turned the corner. The brunette looked good. She would do. When he got her back to his place, he would get rid of that sick bitch and then start over with a sweet new thing.

Pulling up to the curb, he leaned over and rolled down the window. Gesturing with his head, he motioned at the women. Both started over.

"No," he ordered, "only the brunette."

Walking over on numb feet, she leaned down into the window. She glanced at him. Nothing special, but he seemed harmless. At least there was heat in the car.

"Hi ya, honey. What are you doing out on a night like this?" she asked.

"I could ask you the same thing." He looked at her, then turned up the heat.

"That feels good."

"I bet."

"So, I saw you driving around a couple of times. I didn't think you'd stop."

"You know how it is."

"So, are you looking for a good time?" she wondered. She knew the rules: the man had to make the invite to go back to his place. He didn't look like a cop, but a girl had to play it safe.

"I wouldn't be out here if I wasn't. So, you want to go somewhere warm?"

"It will cost you," she countered.

"What can two hundred get me?"

"If you have a warm room somewhere, two hundred will get you a trip around the world."

"Sounds good to me. Get in and let's get your blood pumping."

"Give me just a second." Running back to her partner, the brunette whispered, "Two hundred dollars! Can you believe it?"

"Are you taking it?"

"Damn right I am. That's dinner and rent. Don't wait up for me." She rushed back to the car.

"Find out if he has a brother!" the red head called out. Watching her partner get in the car, she pulled out another cigarette and lit it. She was taking that bath. Turning on her heel, she started walking off.

Settling into the front seat, the woman rolled the window up and pressed her hands against the vent. "Oh that feels good."

"There's more where that comes from."

"Mmmm." She adjusted the vent. "What's your name?"

"Gary. Yours?" he returned.

"It can be anything you want it to be, hot stuff," she purred. "Where are we going? I know this nice motel down the road that will give us a great discount."

"I don't like motels; I prefer more privacy." Gary cranked up the heat.

"I think I'm warm enough. Where are we going?"

"My place."

She tried to keep the fear out of her voice. "Well, that's going to cost you more."

"Money isn't a problem." He kept his eyes on the road.

"Then that changes everything." She watched the scenery pass by. A light sensation tickled her hand. She felt it being pulled away. "Are you saying you want to start now?"

"Something like that." Gary placed her hand on his crotch. "You like that?" he growled.

She felt for a moment. Surprise crossed her face before she masked it. "Somebody is happy." Reaching up, she took his zipper and started to pull it down. Suddenly she was halted by cold metal around her wrist. "What?"

"Hold still!"

Fear raced thru her. "What are you doing?" She tried to pull away but he yanked her up. "Honey, I'm all into bondage, but I don't think handcuffs in a moving car is a great way to start foreplay."

"Shut up!" He clasped the other cuff around a metal hook in the floorboard. "Remain still and no one will get hurt."

"Let me out! Please! I won't tell anyone."

"No you won't."

As his words sunk in, fear filled her heart. Screaming out loud, she started hitting him with her free hand. "Let me go! Let me go! Help! Help!"

"Scream all you want whore, no one can hear you." He turned up the radio to drown her out.

"Help! Help!" Suddenly the cuff came loose. Swinging hard, she hit him with everything she had. Reaching into her purse, she pulled out a small can and sprayed him. Mace filled the small area.

Gary hit the brakes in the middle of the road. "You fucking whore!" he screamed as his eyes started burning and his lungs filled with fumes. "Get over here!"

Pushing against the door, she tried to open it, but it was jammed. "Let me go you sick fuck! Help!" She felt pain rush thru her head and he ripped her hair and yanked her head back. She spit at him and tried to fight him off, but the fumes were overwhelming her. She couldn't breathe. She had to get out of there.

Rolling down the window, the cold air hit her hard. He had his hands around her throat now, she was seeing stars… Picking up the can, she sprayed him again. Unable to see, she missed his eyes and hit him directly in the mouth. That was the moment she needed.

With an inner strength she didn't know she had, she vaulted thru the window on to the pavement. The force of the asphalt knocked the wind out of her. Dazed, she forced herself to move.

"Help! Somebody call 9-1-1! 9-1-1! Fire! Fire!" she yelled. Lights in buildings came on as dogs started barking. "Fire!" Her lungs were collapsing, she couldn't breathe, but she had to escape. Slowly she crawled to the curb.

"Get over here!" Gary ordered. He grabbed her by the hair and slammed her head against the curb. Suddenly a light came on in a doorway. A tall man opened the door.

"What the fuck is going on here?" he asked as he looked at the woman on the street and the man grabbing her. "Who are you?" He moved forward. "Get away from her!"

Gary knew he had to escape while he had the chance. Running back to the car, he jumped inside and hit the gas. The car peeled out, leaving smoking tread marks.

The man watched the scene as the car sped away. He got two letters of the license plate. Turning toward the limp woman on the street, he knelt down beside her. "Hey! Are you alright?" he asked. There was no response. Pulling a phone out of his pants pocket, he dialed. "I need an ambulance at the corner of Warren and Taft…I don't know; I think she was raped. Send the police. Yes, I'll hang on."

Pulling off his coat, he wrapped the unconscious woman in it to keep her warm. Then he waited.


	28. Chapter 28

_The UNSUB has made a HUGE mistake and this time there is a witness. Or two. Now the team tries to figure out who the latest victim is and if she is connected to the others. _

**_On a side note: This may be the last chapter for a while since I am moving from one state to another. Please be patient and I will try to have something up as soon as possible. Thank you so much for reading. You guys are what keeps me going!_**

**Through The Fire**

Hotch pulled the SUV to a stop outside the police barrier and put it in park. Getting out, he walked briskly toward the uniformed officers standing on the sidewalk. Rossi, JJ, and Reid followed behind.

"I'm Special Agent Hotchner," he greeted. "These are Agents Rossi, Jareau, and Reid. The victim was found over there?" He pointed toward the area where a tall man stood talking to two police officers.

"From what I was able to get from her, he picked her up and attacked her in the car. Everything after that was incoherent. EMS says she suffered a severe blow to her head, and had a reaction to mace."

"You think he maced her?" Rossi asked as he looked at the scene.

"I think she maced him," the officer corrected. "She got away and when he caught her, he banged her head on the curb."

"Did anyone see it happen?" Hotch asked.

The officer pointed toward the tall man. "He heard the noise and came downstairs to investigate. He may have saved her life."

"Do you think this was the same guy?" Hotch asked, his eyes narrowing at the crime scene.

"Hard to tell at this point. We don't have much to go on."

"Could we talk to the witness?" Rossi asked.

"Go ahead. I'm going to finish up my report." The officer turned away. Moving as one, the team approached the witness.

"I'm Aaron Hotchner with the FBI; do you mind if I ask you some questions?"

The man shrugged. "Sure."

"Where were you when you heard the noise?" Hotch inquired.

"Upstairs watching the game. I heard brakes then a woman screaming. I came downstairs and saw this guy beating a woman's head against the curb."

"Did you confront him?" Rossi wondered.

The man shook his head. "I don't know. I was shocked. I think I yelled at him."

"Did he come at you?" Rossi asked.

"No. He ran toward his car. I got two letters of his license plate," the man offered. "TZ was all I remember."

"Do remember the make and model?" Hotch continued.

The man shook his head. "Nothing I ever remember seeing. I want to say a Pinto, but I don't think it was. But it was an old license plate, that I know."

"What did he look like?" Rossi pressed.

"Average height…he had a limp." The man searched his memory. "I think he had curly hair. Other than that, I can't give you much of anything else. I'm sorry."

"You've given us plenty. Thank you," Hotch replied. Turning around, he motioned for the team to follow. "I think this was our guy."

"Garcia mentioned that he has gout, so that would explain the limp," Reid supplied.

"So, he's out hunting again," Dave growled.

"Emily's initial profile had him keeping the women for three days and then killing them," Reid quoted from memory. "But what if she was wrong?"

"How do you figure?" Rossi asked.

"What if he's keeping them long enough to find another to replace them?"

"You mean that he's trying to find the perfect woman?" JJ wondered aloud.

Reid dialed quickly.

"You rang?" Garcia answered. All day she had been following leads, tips…anything that could have helped them find her angel. But everything had come up short. Only a miracle could save Emily at this point.

"Garcia, I need you to run a name for me."

"Ready when you are."

"Josie Vada aka Josie Esposito aka Joey E. Get anything?"

"Oh, did I get _something_! This little girl has a rap sheet almost longer than my barrette collection! And she's only twenty!" Garcia paused. "Sweet God in heaven, what do they teach in school these days that makes kids want to drop out and walk the streets? And she is such a pretty girl."

"No telling," Hotch replied dryly.

"Well, I can tell _you_ that she is twenty and was born in Boise. She dropped out of high school at fourteen and ran away from home with a boyfriend who beat her regularly and then got her hooked on heroin and pimped her out. Oh baby girl, nothing could have been that bad at home to do this," Garcia sniffed and then continued. "She spent six months in county for forging checks and shop lifting. She got clean, but she returned to street walking. I guess from what I can tell, her boyfriend is currently serving five to ten for possession, armed robbery and…wait for it…beating up one of his girlfriends so severely that they had to make her a new nose."

"The boyfriend is still in prison?" Rossi asked.

"Upstate New York. He is set to be paroled in six years…if he can keep from having contraband in his cell."

"So, that rules out the boyfriend. Garcia, where does she live?" Rossi questioned.

"There's no address on record. It's possible that she's rooming with someone or she's paying by the week," Garcia offered.

"Thanks Garcia," Reid replied and hung up.

"This late at night, no one is going to open their door to us, but someone obviously knows her. JJ and I will go over to the hospital and check her condition. Dave, I want you and Reid to start out first thing I the morning. Show her picture around. Someone may have seen the car she got into," Hotch suggested.

"He could strike again," JJ worried.

"I doubt it. She fought him and this time there was a witness. He might have to head back to his place to set things right again before he makes another move," Rossi offered.

"Dave's right. Besides, we don't know if this is our guy. Tomorrow morning, we'll know for sure." Hotch motioned for JJ to follow as he walked back to the SUV and got in. Waiting for her to fasten the seatbelt, he put the engine in drive and sped off.  
***

Hotch flashed his credentials. "I'm SSA Hotchner, and this is SSA Jareau. We heard that a woman by the name of Josie Esposito was brought in earlier. She was assaulted."

The nurse at the desk checked her computer. "She's in ICU. I can page the doctor for you. It will be a moment." She dialed a number. Within minutes a doctor appeared. Shaking Hotch's hand, he introduced himself.

"I'm Doctor Sorvino, how may I help you?"

"Josie Esposito was brought in tonight - the victim of an attempted rape and assault. We believe her attacker may be connected to the recent disappearance and murder of eight women," Hotch answered. "We need to talk to her."

Doctor Sorvino sighed deeply. "I'm afraid that isn't going to be possible. At least not tonight. She took quite a beating. She has two cracked ribs, lacerations, and a severe concussion. There is some swelling in her brain that we need to monitor. Until it goes down, I cannot allow anyone to talk to her."

"I understand."

"She also had a severe reaction to mace," Doctor Sorvino supplied.

"The police believe he may have used mace," JJ confirmed a loud.

"Whoever used it is irrelevant since she's allergic to it. We have her on epinephrine too. She's no use to you and your investigation. I suggest that you come back in the morning." The tone in Doctor Sorvino's voice was anything but politely suggesting, and Hotch got the hint."

"Thank you." Hotch watched at the doctor turned around and walked away.

"Now what do we do?" JJ muttered under her breath.

Hotch's face remained expressionless. "We come back in the morning. Hopefully, she will be awake."

"If she isn't?"

Hotch's gaze flickered downward for a second and then back at the double doors that held the answer the team needed to break the case and rescue Emily before it was too late.

"Then we hope Dave and Reid find something." Turning, he looked at JJ. "Let's call it a day. I'll give you a ride home."

"It's okay, Hotch. I can pick my car up at the BAU."

"We need to be in early and you need to be home with Henry. Come on." Quickly he ushered her out of the admin area back to the SUV.

Getting in, he slammed the door and cast an angry glance at the hospital building before driving off.


	29. Chapter 29

_Sorry for the delay. So, where are we…? Em kidnapped, a body was found but it wasn't her…now she's ill and the UNSUB went hunting again but messed up big time. The agents are about to receive the biggest break in the case when they go to question the witness._

**Through The Fire**

Hotch knocked on Director Strauss's office door and waited for the invite before stepping inside.

"Agent Hotchner," Strauss greeted, her eyes carefully scrutinizing his expression, "I heard there was a development last night."

"It appears there may be a development," he corrected. "A young woman was attacked, but managed to escape. Unfortunately, the attacker beat her severely before making his escape."

"Do you believe this person may be the one responsible for Agent Prentiss's disappearance?"

Hotch thought for a full moment before replying. "We aren't sure. There were no real witnesses to the actual abduction, and no solid description to go on. One witness after the fact mentioned that the UNSUB may have had a limp. At this moment, it may be coincidence. Agent Jareau and I are going to the hospital to question the victim shortly."

"The FBI Director and both Ambassadors are going to want an update," Strauss replied.

"The police report along with the hospital report will be sent to you immediately," Hotch answered evenly.

Strauss held Hotch's gaze for a long minute, as if sizing him up. "Do you believe that this person is who we are looking for?"

"Honestly? I believe that the crimes are linked together. As to whether we get the evidence we need soon enough to prevent him from doing this again is another story."

"You do realize that my hands were tied when the cases were first presented to me," Strauss stated.

"I realize that there were circumstances out of your control," Hotch indirectly commented.

"I didn't mean for this to happen to my agent." Hotch wasn't sure, but he swore he heard a break in the Director's voice.

"Crime is indiscriminate; it doesn't care who or what you are. I should know."

Strauss's face softened for a brief second. "I know." Turning back to the folders on her desk, she replaced her glasses and opened one. Scanning it quickly, she briefly raised her eyes. "You may go now," she dismissed him. "Oh, Agent Hotchner," she called out.

Hotch turned to face her. "Director?"

"I need to know if there has been any impropriety in your team."

Holding her look, Hotch let his stoic nature remain intact as he tried to give as truthful a response as possible. There would be time to deal with what had transpired between Rossi and Prentiss after all was said and done, but at the moment, it was not the cause of what had happened and there was no reason to create a mountain out of a molehill.

"I'm not sure what you are asking."

"Is Agent Rossi having a relationship with Agent Prentiss?" Strauss returned.

"None that I am aware of," Hotch replied carefully.

"Are you sure?" Strauss asked, stressing the last word.

"My team is professional on all levels, Director Strauss, and I have no reason to doubt them and how they conduct themselves."

Strauss stood up. "I have reason to believe that Agents Rossi and Prentiss have been fraternizing in their off time. If that is the case, then I will have no choice but to take the matter to the review board when Agent Prentiss is recovered."

_Recovered?_ Hotch thought as his stomach dropped but his features revealed nothing except to harden at her choice of word. "I am very sure that Agent Prentiss will be more than willing to answer any questions about her personal life when she is _rescued,_" he corrected. "Will that be all, _Director_?" he asked, stressing the last word deliberately.

Strauss swallowed hard but maintained her cool. "That will be all, Agent Hotchner. Please update me when you have questioned the victim."

Giving a slight nod, Hotch closed the door behind him.  
******

Hotch and JJ flashed their credentials.

"Special Agent Hotchner; this is Special Agent Jareau. We are here to talk to Josie Esposito. How is she doing?"

The doctor looked at the credentials and nodded. "I just checked on her a little while ago. The swelling went down and she regained consciousness. Her vocal cords were irritated by the mace and we put her on a heavy dose of anti-histamine, so she might be a little incoherent."

"That's alright; we just need to talk to her for a few minutes. She is the only witness to a possible serial killer."

"Okay. I do advise you not to excite her." He led the agents down the hall to a closed door. "We are going to keep her here a couple of more days. We can't seem to find a next of kin to contact."

JJ made a note to call Garcia. "We will get that taken care of."

"Thank you," the doctor replied. Knocking lightly, he opened the door and stepped inside. "Good morning, Josie," he greeted. "How are you feeling?"

"Alright," the young woman rasped. "When can I go home?"

"Like I mentioned earlier, you will have to stay a few more days due to the respiratory distress from the mace," the doctor replied. He turned to Hotch and JJ. "These FBI agents have a couple of questions to ask you. Do you think you're up to it?"

Josie nodded while shrinking into her bed. As the doctor closed the door behind him, she scanned Hotch and JJ with fear in her eyes.

"Hello, Josie," JJ greeted in a friendly tone. "I'm Jennifer Jareau and this is Agent Hotchner. We need to ask you a couple of questions about what happened last night."

"I didn't mean to get in that car," Josie began.

JJ sat down beside the bed. "We know that."

"Are you going to arrest me? I know that being a prostitute is against the law and all…"

JJ shook her head. "We are not going to arrest you," she assured the frightened young lady. "We need to ask you a couple questions about your attacker. Do you think you can do that for me?"

Josie nodded. "Yeah, I think so."

"Did he drag you to the car or were you invited over?" JJ asked.

"My friend and I went over, but he didn't want a red head, so he told her to go away. He offered me two hundred dollars."

"And you got in?"

Josie shrugged. "Well, his car was warm and it was cold outside."

"Was there anything about him that raised alarm bells?"

"You mean like was he creepy?" Josie remarked. JJ nodded. "No. He seemed pretty normal."

"How did he look? Did he have a beard? Was he handsome? Did he have body odor?" JJ questioned trying to jar the woman's memory.

Josie bit her lip as she tried to remember. "He had sandy blonde hair and he wore glasses…like Clark Kent."

JJ scrunched her brow. "Clark Kent? Big frames?"

"No. There was no lenses; just the frames."

"Then what happened?"

"We talked for a moment and I thought he was going to take me to a motel up the road, but he said that he wanted to take me to his place. I told him that it was going to cost more. He said that it wasn't a problem." Josie paused as the memory came back. As the scene flashed in front of her, tears poured down her cheeks. JJ handed her a Kleenex.

"Take your time."

"He…I thought…you see, sometimes we get guys who want to get their freak on before we do it, and I didn't think about what he might want until he put my hand on his dick." Her features pinched as repulsion crossed her face.

"He was aroused?" JJ asked softly.

Josie shook her head. "He….it seemed like he was underdeveloped."

"Underdeveloped, how?" Hotch asked.

"Like he had the dick of a young kid," Josie answered with a slight blush. "I tried to pretend that it was no big deal but then he put handcuffs on me."

"While he was driving?"

"Yeah. I thought we were going to wait to do the kinky stuff, but then he got angry. He hit me and I hit back. I pulled the mace out of my purse," Josie remembered as the tears fell faster. "I sprayed him and I think I got some too. I couldn't breathe."

"It's okay, Josie," JJ soothed. "Then what happened?"

"I tried to get away but he kept pulling me back. I couldn't breathe. He kept trying to pull my hands down to this thing on the floor. He hit me hard."

"How did you get away?" JJ wondered aloud.

"I rolled down the window and jumped out. I remember hitting the asphalt then everything went blurry."

"Did you yell for help?"

"I think I screamed 'fire', but I don't remember. I don't remember," Josie sobbed and covered her face in her hands. "I was so scared. I thought he was going to kill me."

JJ placed her hand on Josie's shoulder. "Josie, do you remember the make and model of car he was driving?"

"A 1970 Roadrunner," she replied. "It was dark green, I think. My grandpa had one." She began crying even harder. "I want my mother. I want to go home."

"We'll do what we can to contact your mother. Until then, you need to relax. You've been very helpful," JJ assured the distraught woman. Leaving her card on the nightstand, she stood up. "If you need anything, I want you to call me."

Together, she and Hotch left the room.

"This is our guy," JJ stated under her breath.

"I know. Call Garcia and see what she can pull up in the DMV for Roadrunners; they still have to be registered and this guy wouldn't do anything that would call attention to himself."

JJ pulled out her phone. "Garcia? We need you to tap into the DMV and get everything you can on owners of 1970 Roadrunners." She listened carefully. "I understand; we'll be there shortly…Yes, this is the break we've been looking for."


	30. Chapter 30

_**Time is running out, but our favourite team is on the case! If only they could find that one clue that could tie everything in and point them in the right direction. But with Garcia on the warpath, it might behoove the UNSUB to disappear.**_

**Through The Fire**

Gary kicked a chair across the room in anger. "Son of a bitch!" he cursed out loud as he took a sip from the can of Michelob. He needed to reset and refocus. And his eyes still burned. If only he could get that nasty taste out of his mouth. Five beers down, and it was still there. And to top it off, nothing he planned had gone right as of late.

He thought he had found the perfect woman, but she had turned out to be flawed…just like all the others. So, he went in search for another - only the next one was able to defend herself. She had put up a good fight but she almost lost - and she would have - had she not had mace. But he got her back; if she survived the blows to her head, she would never be the same.

Standing up, he crushed the can and began to pace frenetically. Where had he gone wrong? All he wanted was the perfect woman, and he couldn't get that right. Damn his mother for fucking up his life! It was bad enough she had to curse his father's life, and now she returned to favour to him! Was he ever going to win? _Damn her! Damn all of them!_

Emitting a loud roar, he threw the can across the room. He was going to have to get rid of the bitch downstairs. It was ahead of schedule and he didn't have a replacement, but he couldn't keep her. She was sick and useless to him. He didn't have time to nurse her back to health.

Running a hand through his hair, he tried to gather his thoughts. The police were going to be out on alert, so he was going to have to plan the disposal of her body carefully. If he had to, he would kill her and wait until later to get rid of her. But first he needed a shower and get some rest.

Morning was going to come soon enough and he needed to have a clear head so he could plan how to get rid of the bitch's body. It was going to be cold tonight and there was a chance she could freeze to death, but he didn't care; if she was dead when he fucked her, well, at least there wouldn't be much of a fight on her part. Though she wouldn't be able to experience the thrill of his body, but that would be her loss.

Turning out the light, he limped painfully from the room.  
****

"Boss?" Garcia began in a rush. "I pulled up a list from the DMV for all 1970 Roadrunners still registered in the database. I didn't think there were that many still in existence, but apparently, they are becoming quite the collector's item as of late."

"What did you find out?" Hotch asked.

"Well, in the DC area, there are approximately twenty still being registered, but that doesn't determine whether or not they are running. In Arlington and Dale City, there are a dozen or so."

"What about Georgetown and Quantico?" Rossi inquired.

"Less than ten."

"So, we are looking at nearly forty potential UNSUBs," Morgan groused. "What about the three letters on the license plate?"

Garcia shook her head. "It's been out of circulation for nearly twenty years."

"So, he stole it?" Reid inquired.

"Happens all the time," Morgan replied. "When I worked in Chicago, it wasn't uncommon for gangs to steal plates so when they did a drive by, and should someone get the tag, it would flag for another vehicle. Or even one that was no longer registered."

"I just can't believe we hit another brick wall," JJ muttered and looked through her folder for the umpteenth time. There was a clue somewhere, but it was as elusive as that wish she kept sending to the first evening star.

"Rossi, what did you and Reid learn today?" Hotch questioned.

Rossi shook his head. "Nothing more than we already knew. Last night's attack has shaken the women and no one is talking. We found the woman Josie was with, but she refused to say anything."

"What was her reason?"

"No telling. She even went so far to say that she didn't know Josie and never met her before."

"How's that for loyalty?" JJ wondered a loud.

"It's a street code," Rossi commented in a neutral tone. "It's a survival technique."

"Prostitutes might travel in pairs and packs, but if someone is out there targeting them, they are going to put self-preservation above everything else," Morgan finished. "Especially when it's a cop asking the questions."

"Well, without a name, forty potential UNSUBs is not going to make it easy for us…" Reid answered, with a look at his watch, "especially when - if he keeps to his schedule - there are only a few hours left before he disposes the…" All eyes shifted toward him. Blushing deeply and moving in his chair, he looked away. "Sorry."

"It's alright," Hotch replied. "But Reid's correct; without anything other than a make and model, we have nothing to go on."

"That should be enough," Morgan argued and pointed to the list of names.

"We are two men down on the team," Hotch observed, "and even if we could gather two men teams, we would need thirty or more to reach every residence before the UNSUB does anything."

"If he did screw up last night," Rossi continued, "he may have gotten spooked and there is no telling what his next move might be."

"You don't think…" Garcia started, her voice filled with fear.

"He's going to cover his tracks and lay low until all of this is over," Rossi informed.

"You mean he could lay low and start all over again?" JJ asked in surprise.

"He's got the taste of blood, and he likes the power; he's on a quest - if Reid profiled him correctly - for the 'perfect woman' and he isn't going to stop."

Garcia swallowed hard, her eyes filled with hot tears as she choked, "Even after kidnapping Prentiss and what he's done so far? Doesn't he know that there isn't a 'perfect woman' out there? Doesn't he know that the police and FBI are looking for him?"

"It's called 'self-preservation', Kitten, and he's going to make sure that nothing stops him." Rossi kept his eyes down on his paper, though nothing he read was making sense.

"Ted Bundy did it, and so did Gary Ridgeway; if he's been doing this long enough, he knows how to play the system in his favour," Reid supplied.

"So, we could never catch this guy?" JJ asked in disbelief. "He could go on without anyone ever catching him?"

"We have his DNA in CODIS, Angel face," Garcia assured, "and I have my system set up that if he even thinks about striking again, it's going to have more red-flags than Russia! He might lie low and try to run, but I've got him in my sights! He even thinks about abducting another woman, I will be on him like a flea on a dog!"

"Whoa there, Mama!" Morgan cautioned. "I think we got the point." He flashed her a small smile. It was the first he had mustered in nearly a week, though it was full of irony.

"I could have him, if I could just find that one thing to nail him with," Garcia groused but her spirits lifted slightly. If her cuddle bear could smile, there might be hope.

"Until then, Dave and I have to brief the Director. The rest of you - sans Morgan - start preparing for road trips," Hotch ordered with a heavy sigh and left the room. Rossi was close on his heels.

Pausing outside the elevator, Hotch pressed the button and waited.

"What are you going to tell Erin?" Rossi asked in a low tone.

"That the only way we might break this case is by scrambling as many people as we can to knock on as many doors as we can before it's too late." Hotch closed his eyes. Feeling the beginnings of a migraine coming on, he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"It's the least she can do."

The doors opened with a slight whoosh and the two men stepped inside. For a brief second, neither one spoke.

"Strauss asked me about you and Emily," Hotch commented, his eyes straight ahead.

Dave's eyebrow rose in mock surprise. "What did you tell her?"

"Nothing…at least nothing that was relevant to the case. You have enough to worry about and we can't afford to be another man down at this point. If she wants to destroy the BAU, taking out agents is not how to accomplish that task. I'm not going to let that happen." Hotch watched the floor number blink as the lift continued its ascent.

"Erin's beef is with me, not you," Rossi replied, eyeing his friend.

"When you decided to have an affair with your co-worker, Dave, the beef is with all of us," Hotch bit out.

"It's not an 'affair', and I am going to put my paperwork in to transfer as soon as I can get your signature," Rossi countered.

"When we get Emily back, consider those papers signed," Hotch remarked as the bell signaled that they had reached their destination. "Until then, don't egg Strauss on," he warned with a sharp look.

"I'll do my best," Rossi assured with a sardonic grin. Together both men exited and began their walk toward Strauss's office.  
****

JJ was going nuts. She knew she had to be. There was something missing; she just couldn't put her finger on it. Okay, maybe she wasn't a full fledged profiler, but she had been with the team for seven plus years and more than picked up on a few things. So, why was none of it working?

Opening the folder, she scanned the police report from the night before. _Think JJ, think!_ She commanded herself. The sudden ringing of her cell caused her to jump. Reaching for the device, she flipped it open and pressed talk.

"Supervisory Special Agent Jennifer Jareau speaking. How may I help you?" she greeted with more cheer than she felt. She reached for a pen, then paused. "Josie? Yes…calm down…I understand. No…you did? Okay…okay…I will send someone over there. I'm writing it down. Thank you."

Hitting end, JJ grabbed the paper and rushed out of her office. Reid called out to her, but she ignored him as she ran down the hall to the stairs and took them two by two. Hitting the door, she sped up down the corridor to Strauss's office.

Winded, her face flush from exertion, she took a moment to catch her breath.

"Are you alright?" Moira Andrews, Strauss's personal assistant asked.

"I need to speak to the Director."

"She's in a meeting with Agents Hotchner and Rossi," Moira began. "Is this an emergency?"

"No," JJ answered, "this is the break we needed." Pushing past Moira, JJ knocked once.

"Wait! You can't go in there!" Moira shouted.

JJ pushed open the door and rushed into the large office. Strauss stood up in surprise as Hotch and Rossi turned around.

"Agent Jareau! What's wrong?" Strauss asked, her voice heavy with concern.

"Hotch," JJ breathed, "I just got a call from Josie Esposito." She handed the paper to her boss. "She remembered the UNSUB said his first name."


	31. Chapter 31

_Chapter thirty one is up and running! Josie remembering the UNSUB's name is going to go a long way to tracking him down, but first the team has to come to grips with getting emotionally involved. And now some hard truths are being realized._

**Through The Fire**

"I'm on it Boss," Garcia spoke via the webcam as her fingers furiously flew over the keyboard.

"Look for any owner who may have the name Gary or may have a spouse by that name," Hotch directed.

"I still can't believe that Josie remembered that name," Reid commented as he flipped thru the folder and made notes.

"I'm not," JJ replied. "I knew he had slipped up somehow and she held the key."

"How is it trying to reach her mother?" Rossi asked.

JJ shrugged. "I'm still trying. So far everything I've tried has been coming up short."

"Let me know if I can help."

JJ flashed a warm smile. Not for the first time did she wonder how Emily and Dave had gotten together, but from the little things the senior profiler did, she knew why Emily had fallen for him. There was no jealousy on her part - only satisfaction and happiness. But Emily had kept her and Pen out of the loop and for that, she was going to let the two women plan the wedding _and_ reception. It was only fair.

"Sorry, Boss, but there are no hits on any owners with the first name 'Gary'," Garcia remarked in frustration.

"Did you check all the DMV records?" Hotch questioned.

Garcia sighed. "_Everything_. I went over everything twice; nothing flagged. Not even a spouse with that name.

"Try again."

"Boss…"

"Try again," Hotch repeated in a low tone. Garcia began typing again.

"What is the status with releasing Josie's condition to the press?" Morgan asked.

"Right now, we are telling them that she is still in critical condition," Hotch answered.

Morgan raised his eyebrow. "Is that wise?"

"We don't have many choices right now. We can't let it be known that he left a witness."

"You think he would go to the hospital?" Morgan wondered. "Do you think he'd be that brazen?"

Hotch shook his head. "There is no telling what he might do at this point; he went out of the norm by attacking his victim in the car and then in public. He could be running scared."

"Ted Bundy did the same thing," Rossi offered, "only it made him change his approach and only emboldened him more."

"Hence his breaking into the dorm and attacking the sorority," Reid supplied. "Up until then, he had been using a car with the passenger seat removed. He moved on to a van after ward."

"But that public display didn't stop him," Rossi continued, "he just changed his M.O."

"He didn't go underground, and he didn't go after the survivors," JJ added. "You think this guy would?"

"All of his abductions have happened during the day," Hotch recalled.

"But where he places the bodies happens at night," Morgan concluded. "Which means that the disposal is more significant to him than the abduction?"

"He's more afraid of getting caught with the body," Reid replied matter of fact.

JJ's forehead wrinkled in confusion. "Then why did he desecrate two of them after placing them when the risk of getting caught was higher?"

"To send us a message," Rossi answered. "He was letting us know that he knew we were looking for him and there was no way to tie him to anything."

"Except the women the women up to Josie." Morgan flipped the folder closed. "We have his DNA on file _now_ but that doesn't bring us any closer to him when he has no prior."

"But it limits his running," Hotch remarked. "He will trip up again and when he does, it will be over."

"Boss," Garcia called out. "I'm going to have to dig deeper because I'm hitting brick walls. I'll get back with you in a few." She switched off the screen.

"I think we ought to take a break." Hotch looked at his watch. "Let's meet back here in thirty minutes." Gathering up his folder, he walked out of the room.

Leaving her items on the table, JJ rushed after the Unit Chief. "Hotch!" she called out.

Hotch turned around. "Yes, JJ?"

JJ sighed. "Not releasing that Josie survived the attack could back fire on us."

Hotch's face remained stoic. "How do you figure?"

"He could still go hunting again. And if Emily is alive, he will be disposing of her. It's been nearly five days…two more than he usually waits before killing his victim."

"I know."

"I think we ought to let the press know she survived the attack."

"That could anger him and have him take it out on Emily," Hotch countered.

"He is going to kill Emily one way or the other," JJ argued.

"That is the chance we are going to have to take. I already talked it over with Director Strauss and both Ambassadors and they agree this is the best way to approach it."

"Even if Emily dies?" JJ asked in disbelief.

Hotch considered her words. "It is the risk we have to take. If Emily is still alive, chances are she has already sized him up and done her own profiling to find his weaknesses. She is working up a way to get out of there."

"What if he has her incapacitated?"

Hotch shook his head. "That isn't in his M.O."

"Neither was attacking a woman the way his did Josie! He's getting desperate."

"Then he is going to screw up," Hotch flashed back.

"Before or after?" JJ asked, she could feel her anger rising. Before Hotch could answer, she continued, "What did Rossi say?"

A flicker of emotion crossed Hotch's face. "At this point, Dave doesn't really have a say - other than whatever in put he has as a member of this team."

"Bullshit! Emily is his fiancée! He has every right to say something!" JJ flashed. Her heart broke at the truth in Hotch's statement.

"He knows that not every case turns out the way we want it to, and realizes that we can't save everyone," Hotch replied in a monotone.

JJ digested the Unit Chief's words in stunned silence. Swallowing hard against the sudden lump in her throat, JJ tried to blink back the rush of tears that threatened to overflow.

"What about you?" she whispered, afraid to speak any louder and cause the tears to fall. "What do you believe?"

Hotch fought the urge to pull JJ into his arms. He had been too harsh with his response, but it had been the truth. Emily was a member of the team and family, but at the moment she was a victim of an UNSUB and they had to disconnect themselves before making it too personal in case things didn't turn out well.

"I believe that when we make a case personal, no matter how it ends, it's not going to be to our satisfaction. You can't get emotionally invested in the victim."

"That was Elle's problem; it's isn't mine! And it isn't any victim; it's Emily."

"I know and that is why it's imperative that we don't treat this any different. If it turns out bad, it could destroy the BAU," Hotch said.

"You think it could?"

"Yes. If this doesn't turn out well, this could be what breaks up the team for good. Everyone is watching us. And when we walk around with our hearts on our sleeves for the victims, it puts up red flags that maybe we don't have what it takes to separate ourselves. It looks bad for everyone involved. And when that victim turns out to be our teammate, it brings the focus on the team even sharper than before. We have to tread carefully and do nothing and say nothing different than if the current victim was Jane Doe from the town over," Hotch commented.

JJ looked up at Hotch and then down at the ground as she tried to regain her composure.

"All we can do is what we are doing right now. Nothing changes," Hotch finished.

"You never answered my question," JJ remarked. Hotch stared at her. "What do you believe?"

Hotch considered the question. "What I believe isn't relevant to this case. Nor is it relevant to Emily. We have to do our jobs." JJ started to speak but he continued. "If the intent of the UNSUB is to kill Emily, nothing we do or don't do is going to change that. That is why they are called 'bad guys'," he reminded the liaison.

Patting JJ's shoulder gently, Hotch's expression softened - slightly. "Go get yourself a cup of coffee and freshen up. I have a feeling Garcia is going to find what we need to know to break this case wide open. And I am going to need everyone at their best when we bring Emily home."

Turning around, he climbed the short staircase and walked to his office.

Staring after him, JJ felt a small smile tug at her lips. Nodding slightly, she turned around and left the bullpen.


	32. Chapter 32

_The whole thing from start to finish is getting ready to wrap up as __**Operation Viper's Tail **__is about to commence and the team gets the info they have desperately been waiting for, while Em figures out that she has one shot to get her escape right. _

_This chapter is dedicated to Benjamin for coming up with the cool operation logo. Love you!_

**Through The Fire**

Emily opened her eyes and tried to look around. Without any light, she was unable to tell if it was day or night. And the isolation of the cold, damp room made it impossible to determine which day it was. The fever had made her delusional and unable to comprehend much of what was happening.

He had come to her earlier, but she couldn't understand what he was saying. In her fevered haze she had watched him pace back and forth while muttering something about screwing up royally and needing to get rid of all witnesses.

She didn't mean to reply to her captor's rant - she was sure everything was a dream…until that hard back handed slap knocked her fever riddled brain back into the present. It had hurt, but overall, the fever had protected her by making her unable to tense up and resist.

He had knocked her senseless, but that was as far as it went. Maybe he had been too afraid that she would vomit on him again…or he had to use her to release his immediate frustration. Either way, he had left shortly afterwards. His parting remark was something along the lines of "good riddance".

Then she passed out.

But she was awake now and the fever had come down…some. She was weak and shaky and had little to no energy, but her will to live was on high. If her conscious mind was blurry and not functioning, her subconscious had been observing and filing everything away for when the moment had arrived.

Stretching, she tried to get the blood flowing into her limbs. Inch by inch she moved her arms and legs as pain seared thru them. It wasn't the worst pain she had ever felt, but at least it reminded her that she was alive.

Slowly the feeling returned her arms and fingers. Sharp at first, it became a dull throbbing as the blood began flowing. Squinting in the dark, she noticed that the rope around her wrist was tied loosely. Not so much that she could slip out, but enough to where she could work it…if given enough time.

Using her teeth, she gnawed and pulled against the knot. Minutes passed by as the exertion caused her to break out in a cold sweat. "Come on Em; you can do this. Remember that time in boarding school when the sorority sisters tied you up and threw you in the back of the dean's car trunk? Think of that knot…" she ordered herself.

Resting between gnaws, eventually Emily felt the knot begin to slip. Concentrating on the moment, she poured everything into getting free. Suddenly the knot broke free and the rope fell loose.

She was free! Dear God, she was free! Now what did she do?

"Think, Emily. Think!" she mumbled as she rubbed the chaffed areas and tried to warm her skin. Frantically her memory tried to recall anything about her captor that might give her the upper hand. He was a little taller than her - not by much - so that wouldn't make a big difference. Though he did outweigh her by at least a hundred pounds…that might pose a problem. But there had to be something else…

His limp! That was his Achilles heel, and the thing that could work to her advantage…if she got the upper hand from the get go. 'If' being the imperative word. Still, she was semi-free and once she got her bearings, she could start making her escape.

Reaching down, she worked on the knot binding her ankles. Time passed and she knew she had ripped off more than a few nails but that was a small price to pay if it meant getting of the hell hole that had been her life. Feeling the blood run down her fingers, she kept at the knot until it broke loose.

It was done!

Although that was the first step. Now she had to get herself together and work out the rest of the plan. Bracing herself alongside the wall, she inched herself up slowly. Nausea and vertigo threatened to overwhelm her as black dots danced in front of her eyes.

Gagging slightly, she ducked her head until the feeling passed, then continued on with reacquainting herself with standing upright. Inch by torturous inch she guided her body up on shaky legs until she was at full height.

The world began to spin. She rested her head back against the cold cinder block wall. For once, she didn't mind the cold against her sweaty skin. It had been worth it. Thinking of her favourite song, she repeated it to herself until she got her equilibrium back. Then slowly, she slid back to the ground.

Twenty minutes had been a good start. But she was going to have to do it again. But first she needed to rest…

Wait!

Slipping her hands under the long t-shirt her captor had provided, Em pulled off her underwear. It wasn't much, but it was something she had learned in self defense class...as long as she got the upper hand first.

Closing her eyes, Em breathed in and out. "Come on, Dave; where are you guys?" she whispered to herself.  
****

"Boss!" Garcia called out excitedly. "I think I got something!"

"Spill it, Baby Girl," Morgan commanded as he maneuvered himself back into his chair at the round table. JJ took his crutches and set them along the wall.

"I went thru the _whole_ DMV database for anyone who owns a Roadrunner or that license plate," she rushed out.

"And?" Rossi prompted.

"I didn't find a 'Gary' per se, _but_ I did find a woman who owned a car with those three letters on her license plate."

"Who is she and where does she live?" Morgan wondered.

"Stafford Memorial Park," Garcia replied.

"The cemetery?" Reid asked.

"Bingo my little adorable brainiac. Seems that tag was for her Chevy Impala, but see she passed away three years ago. I guess she was in a nursing home when the tag expired…"

"Get to the point, Garcia," Hotch ordered.

"Right! Any way, I checked her family records and it seems that when she passed away, she left everything to her next of kin…a Gary Flounders." She paused. "Honestly, that is his name! Anyway, I guess he's been registering her Roadrunner under her name and that is why it didn't pop up on the initial search."

"Do you have an address for this guy?" Hotch asked.

"74716 West Valley Pine Road in King George, Virginia," she recited.

Hotch looked at the team. This was the moment they had been praying for - though they still had to follow procedures and make sure that everything worked out in their favour.

"Dave, can you help coordinate the rescue team while I brief Director Strauss?" Hotch asked.

"I'm on it." The senior agent rushed from the room.

"JJ, brief the Ambassadors and meet us by the SUVs."

"What about me?" Morgan asked as he struggled to get up from his chair.

"I can't." Hotch shook his head.

"The hell you can't! That's my partner!" he barked.

"Your orders are to stay here and off that leg. I've had enough to deal with having you here without you further injuring yourself during the apprehension."

"I want to throw the cuffs on that son of a bitch!"

"We all do, but I can't…"

"Hotch, listen, I promised myself that I would be there for Prentiss when we found her. I can't go back on my word." Morgan's eyes searched Hotch's. "She's my partner."

Hotch held the agent's gaze then he sighed. "You know that with the way everything has turned out lately, that we may be walking into a recovery situation."

Morgan nodded. "I know."

"You can handle that?" Hotch asked.

"I can. Can you?" Morgan threw back.

"Okay. You stay with Dave. But if things get too be too much, I'm going to pull you out."

"I can respect that. Just let me cuff him and that will be enough for me."

Hotch nodded toward the wall at the crutches. "You can't take those."

"I know." Putting weight on his bad knee, Morgan tried not to wince as pain shot through his leg. "Son of a -" he started then stopped as Hotch narrowed his gaze. "That was just a little more than a paper cut."

"Get out to the SUV. If you're there, you go. You have fifteen minutes."

"Wait!" Morgan protested. "I thought you told JJ we had twenty!"

Hotch looked at his watch and raised his eyebrows in mock surprise. "It was twenty minutes, five minutes ago. You better get a move on." Walking out of the door, he hurried to the bull pen.

Struggling to maintain his balance, Morgan took another cautious step.

"Is this what it felt like when you got shot in the knee?" he asked Reid.

"Probably. Try walking on your tip toes," the young agent suggested. "It takes the weight off your foot."

Morgan did as he was told. Grabbing on to his co-worker, he pushed him forward. "Let's get out of here."

"Garcia is going to make you _her_ bitch when she finds out what you are doing," Reid replied.

"Boy genius, haven't you figured it out by now that I already am?" Morgan answered, his eyes twinkling.

Reid grimaced. "I don't think I want to know."

"Come on," Morgan ordered. "Pick up the speed or we get left behind and then _you_ become _my _bitch."

"This is not going to end well for me," the young agent groused and helped his co-worker to the elevators.


	33. Chapter 33

_The last chapter is up…finally. Sorry for the long wait. For that, I made this chapter a bit longer than usual. The team is on their way and Em is in the fight for her life where there can only be one victor. _

_Special thanks to the real life Emily who provided such wonderful detail and hands on knowledge for the move Em uses._

**Through The Fire**

There was only one way out of this mess - or at least the easiest way to throw the cops off his trail. He had to get rid of the bitch in the bomb shelter, then he could pretend like nothing ever happened.

She had been driving him mad. Even when she was sick with fever and throwing up on him, he found himself wanting her. Even when he had found out she was a Fed. He had seen it in the paper that there was an all out search for a missing FBI agent who had been abducted from Patton Park that previous Sunday. She hadn't been lying when she said she wasn't a prostitute, and he felt his body harden.

Even though she had gotten sick and back talked him, she had almost been the perfect woman, and he could have overlooked her faults and kept her forever, but now that he had messed up with that whore, he had no choice but to cut his losses and start over…eventually.

Pacing the floor, Gary ran a hand through his hair and tried to gather his thoughts. There was no way they could place his license plate and with the whore dead, they wouldn't be able to get a description. And then he would be free and clear.

Crushing the beer can between his hands, he felt a blend of anger and desire course thru his body. He was going to have to get rid of his perfect woman, but he was going to get his enjoyment first. Unzipping his pants, he pulled himself out and stroked gently as images of burying himself in her as he choked the life out of her body ran thru his head. Faster he teased himself until he almost lost it.

Panting and breathless, burning with desire and hatred, he tucked himself back in. Opening the back door, he walked outside and grabbed the chain off the back wall. It was time to clean up his mess…once and for all.  
*****

Gathered outside the FBI building, Hotch stood in the middle of the circle that included his team and various other members of the tactical team that had been assembled to rescue Emily.

"We know that this UNSUB will stop at nothing to make sure his victim dies and that he goes out a hero," Hotch relayed the profile.

"Are you saying that he might do a 'suicide by cop'?" one man asked.

"Nothing should be ruled out. Even though we didn't publish that his latest victim survived the attack, he is going to feel cornered," Morgan continued. "And when we published Agent Prentiss's picture in the paper, he is going to know who he has and may feel cornered."

"That is why we have to make sure that everything is covered when we go in," Rossi advised.

"What if he has killed Agent Prentiss already?" another voice asked.

"Our UNSUB is mentally unstable…it has already been proven by the way he has started to slip up with the last two victims. Since the last abduction was thwarted, it's possible that Agent Prentiss is still alive," Rossi continued.

"Because he usually keeps his victim for three days before abducting another, we believe that Agent Prentiss represents the one thing he has been looking for, so she may still be alive," Morgan added.

"We aren't doing a 'recovery'?"

"Director Strauss wants us to handle it as a 'search and rescue' of the highest and most delicate order," Hotch replied. "If you manage to apprehend the UNSUB, do not use deadly force; we need him to find Agent Prentiss and any other victim he may have there."

Hotch looked at the men who were ready to put their life on the line to rescue their sister in arms. His heart squeezed with pride and sadness.

"Okay, let's go," the BAU chief ordered, his voice hiding the truth of what might be waiting for them. Hurrying to the SUV, he got in and waited for Dave. Fastening their seatbelts, Hotch threw a look at his friend. "Are you ready for this, Dave?" he asked, there was no turning back but he had to know.

Dave nodded. "Commence 'Operation Viper's Tail'," he spoke into his commlink.

Hotch threw the engine in drive and raced out of the parking lot. Immediately the other vehicles followed behind.  
****

Gary reached out and slapped Em across the face. "Time to wake up bitch," he ordered. He slapped her again. "I said to wake up!"

Em opened her eyes. "I'm awake," she replied, her tongue thick with sleep.

"I have to get you out of here."

Em struggled to comprehend what her captor was saying. "I don't understand."

"I found out that you are a Fed and that all of Virginia is looking for you. As much as I would love to keep you," Gary traced a finger down alongside Em's dirty cheek, "I guess it isn't meant to be."

"You can let me go," Em reasoned as she tried to play along. "I promise I won't tell anyone."

"I can't do that. You are a federal agent and I know that there is no way you can keep your mouth shut." Reaching out, he grabbed her hands. "I see you got yourself loose."

"I needed to go to the bathroom."

Gary shook his head. "Any other time I would be impressed by your ability and then I would kill you. But I want to fuck you before I kill you." Flicking his gaze downward, he saw her panties on the ground. "You were getting ready for me. I like that."

Yanking Em up to her feet, he slapped her. Hard. Twice. Three times. He could feel himself growing hard as his palm connected with her flesh. Everything that had gone wrong since he had taken her was coming out as he took it out on her. She was the reason he had failed. Her and his mother…both bitches set on this earth to destroy every man they encountered. And though he couldn't get rid of the one who had caused all the pain in his life, he could get rid of the woman standing in front of him.

"Stop," Em pleaded as her brain waited for that one moment…that one opening where she could disable him.

"Shut up bitch!" Gary shouted. As he went to swing again, Em ducked and tucked her body as her right hand contracted into a fist. Using every bit of strength and energy she had in reserve, she delivered an upper cut to her attacker's jaw. It was her one shot and she had to make it good.

Stunned by shock and pain, Gary felt his head snap up as stars danced in front of his eyes and nausea overwhelmed him. Falling to his knees, he tried to stop the world from spinning. _What the hell happened?_ he wondered as he tried to clear his head.

Em spied the panties. She debated getting them…until she saw that the man was slowly coming to. Instinct took over at that moment. Throwing herself around Gary, she locked her legs around his waist. With one arm under his and across his chest, she locked it with her free arm and pulled his head back.

_Please God, _she prayed as she felt him struggle to break free. Pulling his head back tighter, she applied more pressure.

Gary struggled and fought against Em's hold. Reaching blindly, he scratched and clawed for survival but it was fruitless; she had gotten the upper hand. As darkness overwhelmed him, he wished he had killed her when he had had the chance. Then he passed out as the blood flow ceased to his brain.  
****

Quickly the team assembled around the outside of the house. Hotch looked at the agents he was about to lead in.

"Is everyone in place?" he asked into his walkie talkie.

"We have the south side covered," Rossi replied.

"Soft entry so we don't alert him," Hotch ordered. Nodding to the tactical team leader, he gave the signal. "Go now!"

Hitting the door with a battering ram, the agents went in two by two to cover one another. In the distance, Morgan's team came in.

"Clear!" came the shout as agents moved from room to room.

"Clear!"

Hotch held his gun high as he searched the kitchen. "Clear!" he shouted out. Lowering his weapon, he let out a deep breath. How had they missed him?

"Hotch!" Morgan's voice came over the commlink.

"We're clear in here," Hotch replied.

"Well, he didn't get far; his car is still here."

Snapping, Hotch directed the team out the back door to where Morgan stood.

"A 1970 Roadrunner," Rossi quipped. "And the license plate. This is our guy."

"So where did he go?" Hotch asked.

"Hotch! You need to look at this!" Reid called out. Rushing over to the younger agent, the team looked at the steps that led down to darkness.

"A fall out shelter?" Morgan asked in disbelief.

"A bomb shelter," Reid corrected. "It's easy to confuse the two since they represent the nuclear age of the sixties. But a bomb shelter is just that…"

"Reid, we can do the history lesson later," Hotch interrupted. "Dave, follow me. Morgan, you and Reid cover us."

Turning on his flashlight, Hotch and Rossi carefully descended the steps to the front door. Trying the handle, they found it locked.

"There's not enough room to kick it in," Rossi whispered.

"Try."

Holstering his weapon, Rossi raised his leg and delivered a ninety degree kick. And then tried again.  
****

Em was free. Stumbling to her feet, she tried to fight off the dizziness. She just had to make it to the door…then she could find help. Hearing the pounding on the other side of the door, she tried to unlock the hatch. As she released the last dog, a hand reached out and grabbed her.

A scream escaped her lips as her head hit the metal door and bright bursts of colour danced in front of her eyes. She barely felt her body being thrown as she crumpled to the dirt ground. The pressure around her throat tightened as Dave and her baby flashed before her eyes. She could see it in her killer's eyes - that look of finality. It was over….

Suddenly a gun went off and the hands around her throat disappeared as a body fell on top of her. It hurt to breathe but it was a good hurt. She tried to draw in the precious oxygen called life. Strong arms enveloped her as a familiar voice called her name. In the distance, another voice was calling out for the paramedics.

Rubbing Em's bruised cheeks, Rossi tried to bring her back into consciousness. "Em, wake up. Come on Tesoro, let me see those brown eyes," he ordered gruffly as his throat clogged with tears. She was alive. She was alive and she was going to live. They had gotten to her in time.

Opening her eyes, Em tried to focus in on the handsome face of her rescuer and the man she loved. "Dave," she whispered. Her body hurt and she was so hungry, but she was safe. So safe. Dave had her and that was all that mattered.

"What Tesoro?" Rossi asked as he brushed the hair from Em's face. He wasn't supposed to cry, but he couldn't help it.

"You missed his head," Em replied. Then she passed out.


	34. Epilogue

_Alas, all good stories must come to an end. I tried to wrap everything up in a nice little bow and tie up all the loose ends but somehow I feel that I could never do this story the justice it deserves. Still, it will always have a place in my heart, and I hope it has found a place in yours, too. P.s. I hope you don't mind that I made this chapter a little longer than usual._

_This chapter is dedicated to all who have read, faved, and/or reviewed. It means more to me than you could ever know._

_Song prompt: "Through The Fire" by Peabo Bryson_

**Through The Fire**

**Place: Dale City, VA**

**Time: One week before Christmas.**

Emily stood by the bedroom window and watched the snow fall as the fire crackled in the fireplace. The shadow of the lamp cast a shadow along her face, but her mind was somewhere else as she hunkered down in her oversized sweater. Absently mindedly, her hand fingered the white gold band around her left finger before wandering to caress the slight bump of her tummy.

A soft smile danced on her lips as she closed her eyes.

Two and half months after being rescued from the bowels of hell by her friends, she wondered how she could have been so completely blessed by life. It was almost too good to be true. And now she and Dave were going to be parents. Could life get better?

Mudgie bumped her with his head and whined. Reaching down, she scratched his head as she continued to watch the snow fall. The sound of the front door closing in the distance caught her ear. The dog ran to welcome his master.

"Hi, boy," Dave greeted as he took off his heavy overcoat and shook the snow from his hair. Petting the black Lab, he straightened up. As his eyes met Em's, he felt himself become emotional. Nearly three months after getting her back in his arms, he still had to pinch himself to remember that it wasn't all a dream and she was really beside him. On more than one occasion he woke up in a cold sweat from his mind playing tricks on him. Over and over he told himself that it was only a nightmare and that the team _had_ gotten to Em in time. Unable to go back to sleep, he would just lie there watching her sleep.

But as he watched her standing beside the large bay window as the snow fell behind her, he knew that she was here to stay and he would never let her go again.

Walking over to the woman of his heart, he wrapped her in his strong warm embrace, then dropped a kiss on her soft lips. "You feel so good," he whispered against her hair, his hands lazily stroked her back.

"So do you. You're home early," Em observed.

"Complaining?" he teased.

"No," she sighed, "I'm glad because the snow is starting to pick up."

"The FBI Director thought it was best that we head home before this blizzard hits. After last year, he's not taking any chances."

"Wise man. So, how was work?"

Dave shrugged. "Uneventful. Stand down begins tomorrow…our first Christmas stand down in five years."

"And it coincides with your AL. Did Eleanor get you warm spots?" Em's eyes danced with mischief as she turned around in his arms. "No, I don't plan on jogging any time soon," she amended.

"Good. She got me two book signings in Hawai'i with a couple days lay over. That should be a good start to the lifetime honeymoon I planned for us."

"Even when junior is crying for a diaper change at two in the morning?" Em teased.

"He'll know I'm spending quality time with his momma and won't want to bother us."

"You sound pretty sure about that."

"If he's anything like his old man, he'll love you as much as I do." Dave nuzzled Em's neck; his tongue tasted her perfumed flesh.

"I hate to disappoint you, but I think it's going to be a girl."

Dave pulled back, his eyebrow raised in question. "Really?"

"I had a dream about her while I was waiting for the team to find me. I thought it might have been…" Em's voice trailed off. Dave crooked a finger under her chin to raise her eyes to meet his. "I want to think that I have been forgiven..." Her eyes welled up with tears.

Dave brushed a tear away with his thumb. "After what you've been thru, I think you have paid for everything a hundred times over."

"I know." Em closed her eyes. "I talked to JJ today. She got a call from Josie Esposito."

"How is she doing?"

"It took a while to adjust after being attacked, but she and her mother are working through it. I guess her mother's boyfriend left and that is giving them a chance to build a relationship," Em replied.

"She's a good kid who got stuck in a bad situation; I have faith that she will survive and come out better than even she expected," Dave commented.

"That twenty thousand dollar scholarship by an anonymous donor isn't going to help her achieve that goal?"

Dave shifted his weight and ducked his head. "It was supposed to be a secret. I wanted to find a way to thank her for helping us find you. Did JJ tell her?"

"No, your secret is pretty safe, but it does make my Christmas gift to Josie pale in comparison because I set her up a little trust fund on the side."

"Great minds thinking a like," Dave mused, his voice tinged with humour. He kissed Emily long and deep. Moving his lips from hers, he trailed kisses along her jaw line. "Have you talked to your parents?"

"Mother called earlier. She and Daddy are expecting us to join them at their house after the first of the year. I guess they have something for us."

"Probably a bullet with my name on it for marrying their only daughter," Dave remarked wryly as his mouth continued to tease Em. His hand cupped her breast and kneaded it gently.

"I doubt that; Mother was relieved that you did the right thing and married me right away to make sure her grandchild has a name." Em arched into his touch.

"Even though it's going to be Rossi?"

"Mother is proud to call you her son in law."

Dave chuckled. "That's a first."

"That should be a sign that everything is going to be alright. And maybe now you can start sleeping through the night without being chased by nightmares," Em whispered.

"You know about those?" Dave felt himself grow hot from shame and fought the urge to run.

Em brushed a lock of hair from Dave's forehead. "I do. I'm not going to leave you, Dave."

"I know." He looked away from her. Em reached out and cupped his face.

"Tell me what's eating at you."

"I'm afraid that this is all a dream and I'm going to wake up to find you gone. It took forever to find you and then I almost lost you. After trying and failing so many times, I never thought I'd get lucky enough to have you in my life. I told Father Jimmy I was prepared to lose you, but I lied. I will never let you go."

"Dave…" Em choked.

Dave took her wrists and kissed her palms tenderly. "I know that it feels as though I pressured you into marrying me since I didn't give you much of a wedding…"

"It was in a church and officiated by Father Jimmy, so my parents are happy," she interrupted.

"And then you had to give up your career…"

"I am teaching Arabic at the academy which is another way of tracking and profiling the bad guy, so it's not giving up my career; I'm just focusing on a different aspect of it." She took his hands and placed them on her tummy. "Besides, I was going to have to leave the BAU sooner or later. It all worked out."

"Except, I'll be the one going after bad guys and you'll be changing diapers."

Em's eyes snapped. "We can _always_ trade places, buster. I'm sure if I went into Strauss's office and pleaded my case, she'd be _more _than happy to put _you _on diaper duty."

"That would definitely make her day in more ways than you could ever imagine."

"I'm sure it would. But I would never do that to you. I would rather have you out in the field because I know that when our daughter is born, you will do everything to make this world a better place," Em remarked.

"I promise to always take down the bad guy."

"You did miss my bad guy's head," she teased.

"I was too worried about you to analyze where the bullet was going to land," Dave argued passionately.

Em rolled her eyes dramatically. "I can't believe you let JJ be a better shot."

"True, but could JJ do this?" Dave cupped her breast and kissed her. "Or make you feel this way?" His other hand trailed down her back. He kissed her throat then moved downward. "Or how about this?"

Em closed her eyes and savored the pleasure he was creating. Moaning low, she pressed her body closer to his. Suddenly she felt the world shift as Dave swept her in his arms.

"Dave! We have to meet my parents for dinner in a couple of hours!" Em protested as he laid her on the bed.

Pausing in his ministrations, he looked up. "Are you saying you want me to stop?" Dave slowly unbuttoned Em's blouse and parted it.

"No, I'm saying that if we keep going, we're going to be late."

"There's going to be a blizzard; everyone is going to be late," he reminded, his fingers unlocking the clasp of her bra.

"I…" Em caught her breath as Dave encircled a nipple with his mouth. "Oh god!"

"We can call and cancel after we're done. I'm sure they will understand."

"Yes," Em hissed as Dave's mouth and hands worked in tandem. Curling her hands in his hair, she pulled his face up to hers. "I never thanked you for saving me."

"I told you that I would walk through the fire for you, Tesoro." Dave smoothed her hair back from her face.

A stray tear broke free and raced down Em's cheek. "I love you."

Dave brushed the tear away. "I love you too, Tesoro. I always will. And I will make sure I tell you everyday."

"Since we are going to be snowed in for the next couple of days, why don't you show me instead?" Em replied and drew his head down to hers.

Reaching up, Dave turned out the lamp on the night stand as he slowly made love to the only woman he had ever loved - the woman who was now his wife and mother of his unborn child.

Getting up from his cushion by the fireplace, Mudgie quietly walked out of the room. Stopping at the door, he turned his head to glance at the couple on the bed. Letting out a sigh, he continued down the hall to the stairs.

Walking over to the couch, he jumped up and made three wide circles before he settled down with a heavy thump. Blinking, he watched the lights on the tree until his eye lids grew heavy. Dinner was going to be late…again. But he had his pets back and everyone was happy.

Of course, getting a steak later, wouldn't hurt.

**_The End._**


End file.
